Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi film The Dog Stars has received weak early reviews, placing it among the lower-rated films in the director’s catalogue on Rotten Tomatoes. The response matters because it marks Scott’s first science-fiction release since 2017’s Alien: Covenant, despite being promoted as a major IMAX-scale late-summer release.

Starring Jacob Elordi alongside Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney and Guy Pearce, the film adapts Peter Heller’s novel from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith. It has a 38% Rotten Tomatoes score, with reviewers generally praising its visuals while criticising the writing; it reportedly cost $110 million and is due for theatrical release on 28 August.