Ridley Scott is heading back into survival mode. 20th Century Studios has released the new trailer and poster for “The Dog Stars,” the filmmaker’s upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller, which opens exclusively in theaters on August 28.
Based on Peter Heller’s bestselling novel, the film stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, a young pilot living in the ruins of a collapsed world where survival has become a daily act of calculation. His closest ally is Bangley, played by Josh Brolin, a military survivalist who has helped him carve out an isolated, functional homestead amid the brutality around them. But that fragile order begins to shift when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission and sets out beyond the safety of what he knows, in search of the possibility that hope, connection, and humanity may still exist somewhere beyond the horizon.
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That premise gives Scott a familiar but promising canvas: a harsh, stripped-down world, a man driven by instinct and belief, and a journey into dangerous unknown territory. “The Dog Stars” also arrives with a sizable ensemble that includes Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce, giving the film a mix of younger star power and veteran heft around Elordi and Brolin.
The screenplay is by Mark L. Smith, known for writing Tarantino’s unmade “Star Trek” film, based on Heller’s novel. Smith, who also produced the film, has plenty of survival-thriller credentials, including co-writing “The Revenant,” which makes him a natural fit for material about endurance, isolation, and the thin line between self-preservation and the need for human connection. The producers are Scott, Michael Pruss, Smith, and Cliff Roberts, with Lily Brooks-Dalton, Brandon Scott Smith, Heller, and Aidan Elliott serving as executive producers.
For Scott, “The Dog Stars” follows a busy run that has kept him moving across period epics, historical spectacle, and studio-scale genre filmmaking. This one looks to bring him back to a more elemental mode, built around danger, landscape, and the question of what remains after civilization collapses.
“The Dog Stars” opens exclusively in theaters on August 28 via 20th Century Studios. Watch the trailer below.
