Ridley Scott Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Dog Stars’ Gets a New Release Date

20th Century Studios and Disney have delayed Ridley Scott’s next film, The Dog Stars. In November 2024, Scott revealed his follow-up to Gladiator II would be an adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 sci-fi book The Dog Stars. The story takes place in the future, following humanity being destroyed by a pandemic, where a man living with his dog and a lone gun discovers a transmission that hints at invaders.

The Dog Stars has been delayed to August 28, 2026, according to Deadline. The film was directed by Scott and stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce. The Dogs Stars’ previous release date, March 27, 2026, has now been given to Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

The upcoming sci-fi thriller was originally set to open the weekend following Project Hail Mary, another adaptation of a popular sci-fi book with a prestige cast including Ryan Gosling and acclaimed director Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Now The Dog Stars will close out the summer movie season, opening the same weekend as Jaume Collet-Serra’s reboot of Cliffjumper. Also opening on August 28, 2026, is the highly anticipated and long-awaited Coyote vs. Acme, which survived being a write-off for Warner Bros. Discovery and will be released in theaters through Ketchup Entertainment.

‘The Dog Stars’ Moves Out of a Crowded Spring

Josh Brolin in ‘Dune: Part Two’

Warner Bros.

As one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, and Ridley Scott’s work on sci-fi films like Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian is nothing short of legendary. However, the directors’ work on titles like Prometheus and Alien: Covenant left many fans disappointed. 20th Century Studios delaying The Dog Stars to late summer as opposed to opening in the spring might suggest the studio has faith in the movie being a potential box office hit, while also moving it out of the pathway of stiff competition in April like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The Drama, The Mummy, and Michael.

Scott’s 2020s have been somewhat hit-and-miss, with The Last Duel being one of the director’s best works in years but bombing at the box office. House of Gucci received mixed critical reaction, but was a decent hit in the early months of theaters reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic. Gladiator II might not have been the cultural touchstone the original film was, but it was a box office success. Just don’t ask Russell Crowe his thoughts on the film. Maybe The Dog Stars could be the critical and box office hit that Scott has not had since The Martian a decade ago.