Ridley Scott Sci-Fi Film The Dog Stars Pulled From Theaters After Box Office Flop

Ridley Scott has been a major name in the science fiction space for decades. The director’s work on both Alien and Blade Runner has defined the way stories have been told in the genre ever since. Despite that, and the fact that Scott currently holds the honor of being the eighth-highest-grossing director of all time, his latest entry into the genre has faced a brutal blow.

The Dog Stars, the newest film directed and produced by Scott, has been dropped from nearly all of its theaters nearly a month after its release. According to Box Office Mojo, the sci-fi film made its debut in 3,330 theaters domestically on August 28th, only grossing a mere $7.7 million in its first opening weekend. After that initial performance, and a gross of only $3.4 million over the following Labor Day weekend, the film’s theatrical run was dropped to 1,030 theaters on its third weekend of September 11th.

Just a week later, on September 18th, the theatrical run of The Dog Stars was cut down to only 110 theaters, and eventually to 100 theaters since September 25th. The film’s reported per-theater average currently sits at $14 a day. At the time of this writing, The Dog Stars has only grossed a total of $14.9 million domestically, with its worldwide box office total sitting at $39.2 million. By contrast, the film’s budget has been reported as anywhere from $75 to $110 million.

Based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name, The Dog Stars features an ensemble cast that is led by Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Josh Brolin (Guardians of the Galaxy), Guy Pearce (Mare of Easttown), Allison Janney (The Diplomat), and Benedict Wong (Weapons). The film is directed by Scott, off of a script penned by Twisters and The Revenant screenwriter Mark L. Smith.

According to 20th Century Studios’ official description of The Dog Stars, the film tells the story of Hig (played by Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (played by Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world until a mysterious radio transmission spurs Hig to venture into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exists.

Despite the disappointing performance of The Dog Stars, Scott is not staying away from the genre space for long. He is currently working on a new adaptation of Treasure Island starring Hugh Jackman, and recently teased that he has plans to direct another Alien installment centered around Michael Fassbender’s character of David.

Source: Polygon