Master Director Returns! Ridley Scott's Sci-Fi Epic Lands This August
Ridley Scott ends his directorial hiatus with the dystopian epic <i>The Dog Stars</i>, starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, set for an August 28 release. Despite his legendary career, Scott continues to seek his first competitive Oscar. This release coincides with a Collider sci-fi survival quiz, challenging fans to find their survival world.
After a relatively quiet period as a director, Ridley Scott is set to make his much-anticipated return to the science fiction genre. Since his work on the critically maligned historical drama Napoleon and the upcoming Gladiator II, Scott has been actively involved as a producer through his Scott Free banner. Last year, he notably produced and significantly contributed to Alien: Earth, the first television series spun from the iconic franchise he initiated in 1979.
Scott's return to the director's chair for a sci-fi feature is marked by The Dog Stars, a new dystopian epic slated for release on August 28. The film boasts a talented cast, including Jacob Elordi, who is currently receiving significant attention for his Oscar nomination for Frankenstein and his role in Euphoria. Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley (known for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong are also confirmed to appear in supporting roles. Originally scheduled for a March release, The Dog Stars was delayed to allow the editing and post-production teams ample time to meet the high standards expected of a Scott Free production. The film, classified as Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama, and Thriller, has a runtime of 100 minutes and features writers Mark L. Smith, Peter Heller, and Christopher Wilkinson, with Michael A. Pruss, Cliff Roberts, Ridley Scott, and Mark L. Smith serving as producers.
Despite his monumental contributions to cinema, including seminal works like Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian, Ridley Scott has not yet secured an Oscar win. He has received four nominations throughout his career: for Best Director for Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), and Black Hawk Down (2001), and for Best Picture as a producer for The Martian (2015). While he is slated to receive an honorary Oscar, it is clear he still aspires to earn a competitive one before concluding his directorial career.
In related content exploring the themes of sci-fi survival, Collider presents an exclusive 'Sci-Fi Survival Quiz'. This interactive experience challenges users to determine which dystopian world—out of five iconic universes: The Matrix, Mad Max, Blade Runner, Dune, and Star Wars—their instincts are best suited for. The quiz delves into various aspects of survival, posing questions on instinct, resource management, perceived threats, approach to authority, preferred environment, alliances, morality, and ultimate purpose. Based on responses, participants are assigned a survival profile, for instance: those who are systems thinkers and seek to dismantle illusions might thrive in The Matrix; the resilient and unsentimental in Mad Max's wasteland; individuals adept at navigating moral grey areas in Blade Runner's Los Angeles; the patient and politically aware on Arrakis in Dune; and those driven by a cause or rebellion in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Each profile highlights how a person's temperament and survival instincts align with the challenges of these distinct futuristic settings.