The first images from Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi film The Dog Stars dropped just a couple of days ago, and now we have the full trailer. Fresh off his Oscar-nominated supporting performance in Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi takes on one of his first true lead roles in a feature, starring alongside Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong.
Based on the Peter Heller novel, adapted by The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson, The Dog Stars is a story that Scott feels a close personal connection with, as we recently learned. At 88 years old, Scott hasn’t slowed down in the least with recent films Gladiator II, Napoleon, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci. No matter what you think of those projects, he’s still the director behind iconic sci-fi films Alien and Blade Runner, so when he tackles this genre you have to take notice.
Set in the aftermath of a global apocalypse, The Dog Stars features Elordi as Hig, a pilot who has a single-engine Cessna he calls The Beast, a loyal blue heeler mutt named Jasper … and not much else. The dog and the plane are Hig’s version of singing “Old McDonald”—small comforts to keep him going when all seems lost.
This looks pretty good to me, and possibly like one of Scott’s better recent efforts. That said, the early buzz hasn’t been great, so I’m only cautiously optimistic. I think it’s key that 20th Century Studios has set it to open on August 28th, which means they don’t see it as either a summer blockbuster or an awards season contender.
