Ridley Scott’s New Sci-Fi Movie Officially Sets One of The Worst Records in 2026

Ridley Scott is widely celebrated as the visionary titan behind sci-fi masterpieces like Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian, but his latest foray into the genre has suffered a brutal misfire. Marking his first sci-fi feature in nearly a decade since 2017’s Alien: Covenant, the post-apocalyptic survival thriller The Dog Stars has officially crashed with a dismal 41% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The disappointing reception not only ranks the Jacob Elordi-led feature among the lowest-rated entries in Scott’s entire five-decade filmography, but it also officially earns the unfortunate distinction of being one of 2026’s worst critical setbacks for a major studio blockbuster.

Ridley Scott’s ‘The Dog Stars‘ Gets a Sluggish Opening Weekend Debut

Jacob Elordi in The Dog Stars (2026) | Credit: Fabio Lovino/20th Century Studios

The harsh critical response has severely hindered the film’s commercial momentum right out of the gate. Despite being marketed as an immersive big-screen spectacle with IMAX presentation and cinematography by Oscar-winning Erik Messerschmidt, The Dog Stars is heading toward a sluggish $8 million opening weekend at the domestic box office. (Via Box Office Mojo)

Produced on a reported $110 million budget, the film debuted at a lowly No. 5 on the charts, struggling against summer holdovers. This marks the fifth-lowest domestic debut of any Ridley Scott movie this century, landing dangerously alongside past underperformers like The Counselor and The Last Duel.

The Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus reads:

A derivative and drowsy tour through the post-apocalypse, The Dog Stars’ lush visuals can’t compensate for its listless narrative and underpowered pacing.

Adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, the story follows a lonely pilot navigating a world decimated by a global superflu. While early reviews widely praised the movie’s bleak desert vistas and haunting atmosphere, critics overwhelmingly targeted the script’s sluggish pacing, tonal disconnect, and lack of emotional depth.

Leading the cast is Jacob Elordi as Hig, a reclusive pilot mourning his lost world, alongside Josh Brolin as his hardened survivalist partner Bangley. The powerhouse ensemble also features Margaret Qualley as Cima, Guy Pearce as Pops, Benedict Wong as Aaron, and Academy Award winner Allison Janney as Darlene.

Ultimately, the movie’s struggle to balance meditative character drama with post-apocalyptic tension left audiences with a derivative, disjointed survival epic that fails to capture the signature brilliance of Scott’s legendary sci-fi heights.

Did you catch The Dog Stars in theaters, or are you waiting for its streaming debut? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The Dog Stars was released exclusively in theaters and select IMAX venues on August 28, 2026.