The Dog Stars: Josh Brolin Reveals Why Margaret Qualley Started Panicking While Working With Ridley Scott

The Dog Stars gave Margaret Qualley a firsthand taste of what it is like to work with Ridley Scott—and Josh Brolin says it left her visibly panicked. Brolin revealed in an interview with Collider that he initially had a similar reaction to Scott’s filmmaking technique, before discovering that Jacob Elordi felt the same way.

And that’s why the same reaction I had, I found out, was the same reaction that Jacob had. And then Margaret, when she came into it, you saw the panic in her eyes when she started to do it, because she’s never worked with Ridley.

Qualley was caught off guard by the director’s fast, instinctive approach to filmmaking, which left little room for the kind of preparation his collaborators might expect. She also had to stay fully committed and give 100% in every take even if it was not her close-up shot because she only gets a few takes before they move on to the next scene.

Margaret Qualley On Working With Ridley Scott In The Dog Stars

Margaret Qualley in The Dog Stars / Credits: 20th Century Studios

Qualley got a pretty intense introduction to Scott’s filmmaking style while working on The Dog Stars. The director is known for moving quickly and working with multiple cameras, so there is no real opportunity to relax, especially when they are still rolling.

For the actress, that meant learning to let go of some of the preparation and predictability she might normally rely on and instead trust the moment. Rather than fighting Scott’s process, she said in an interview with Collider:

So much of my job in both my life and my literal job is reckoning with the fact that we don’t have control, and trying to surrender to that, and I think that this was a kind of heightened experience of that.

Still, Qualley’s experience and preparation as an actor meant Scott’s unconventional approach didn’t necessarily hurt her performance. She has always been someone who comes to set ready to work, and this gave her something solid to fall back on even when Scott was moving quickly or changing things in the moment. She also added:

I always kind of prep a lot just to soothe myself, you know? It can’t hurt. So, I don’t know that I prepped any more than I usually would, but I think certainly there’s something interesting about what you do the first time, and that’s what this movie is.

What initially looked like panic, as Brolin claimed, was really Qualley adjusting to a new way of working, and she ultimately found her footing with one of Hollywood’s most experienced directors.

Everything We Know About Scott’s Upcoming Post-Apocalyptic Film

The Dog Stars puts Scott in familiar sci-fi territory, but this time the threat is a pandemic-ravaged world rather than aliens or robots. Based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, the film follows Hig (Elordi), a young pilot surviving in an isolated Colorado homestead with his dog, and hardened military survivalist Bangley (Brolin).

When Hig picks up a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures beyond their safe haven, hoping to find other survivors and perhaps a reason to keep going. Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, and Allison Janney also join the cast.

Beyond the survival-action angle, Scott has emphasized themes of hope, loneliness, and human connection, making this more than just another bleak end-of-the-world story. Interestingly, the film was shot largely in Italy, with the country’s Dolomites standing in for Colorado.

Are you planning to watch this in theaters? Let us know in the comments!

The Dog Stars is set to hit U.S. cinemas on August 28, 2026.