Legendary director Ridley Scott’s long-awaited return to the sci-fi genre hasn’t gone according to plan, with his latest film, The Dog Stars, tanking at the box office and receiving mediocre reviews. Scott’s last sci-fi movie was Alien: Covenant, released in 2017. That movie underperformed at the box office and divided audiences, but compared to The Dog Stars, it was a home run. Scott’s new film, starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, debuted in more than 3,000 theaters domestically, but has lost more than 90% of its theatrical footprint over the course of its month-long run. It also appears to have stalled short of the $15 million mark at the domestic box office, which is less than the lifetime hauls of much smaller titles such as Tony and Hokum.

The Dog Stars opened to mixed reviews and has now settled at a 40% critics’ score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s 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.” Scott has had a difficult run in the last few years, with major box-office underperformers such as Napoleon, The Last Duel, All the Money in the World, and Exodus: Gods and Kings. Gladiator II, which made more than $460 million worldwide, cost a reported $300 million to produce, which severely softens any profits that it could’ve made theatrically.

Here’s How Much ‘The Dog Stars’ Has Grossed at the Box Office So Far

After 31 days in theaters, The Dog Stars has gone from 3,300 locations in its first week to 100 locations in its fifth. This past weekend, it was the bottom-most movie on the domestic box office rankings, placing 32nd, behind the re-release titles Cars, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira. Also featuring Margaret Qualley and Allison Janney, The Dog Stars has yet to hit the $40 million mark at the global box office, against a reported budget of around $100 million. For context, Scott’s The Martian and Alien: Covenant carried similar price tags, but grossed around $630 million and $240 million worldwide, respectively. Perhaps The Dog Stars will find its audience when it lands on the PVOD and streaming markets, given its promising 70% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

August 28, 2026

Runtime

119 minutes