20th Century has released the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, revealing the first look at the post-apocalyptic thriller. The movie will be released in theaters on August 28th.
The film is based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller, which was adapted into a film by Mark L. Smith, whose previous works include Twisters and The Revenant. Starring Jacob Elordi as Hig, Josh Brolin as Bangley, and Margaret Qualley as Seema, the film follows a commercial pilot and former Marine as they navigate the aftermath of a pandemic that wiped out nearly the entire human population.
“The Dog Stars” is Scott’s first film after directing 2024’s “Gladiator II,” and marks his return to 20th Century Studios, where he worked for five years from 2012 to 2017, producing films such as “Prometheus” and “The Martian.” His next directorial effort, originally scheduled to precede Dog Stars, was to be a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount Pictures, but that was postponed after Scott said the studio had “changed the goalposts.” The director shifted his focus to science fiction projects instead.
Paul Mescal, who starred in Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel, was originally slated to play the lead role in “The Dog Stars,” but withdrew from the role in early 2025 due to scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes’s Beatles biopic. In January 2025, Variety magazine first reported that Elordi was in talks to replace Mescal in the lead role, but noted that his schedule was similarly hectic, having filmed both Wuthering Heights and Season 3 of HBO’s Euphoria. Despite schedule disruptions, Elordi stuck with the project, and production began in Italy in April 2025.
Watch the trailer below.
