Ridley Scott’s New Sci-Fi Movie Struggles at the Box Office Ahead of Rumored Alien Franchise Return
Ridley Scott's new science-fiction film, The Dog Stars, has opened poorly at the box office, marking his latest commercial disappointment even as reports circulate that he may return to direct another instalment of the Alien franchise. The 88-year-old director remains one of Hollywood's most prolific filmmakers, but a string of expensive underperformers has raised questions about his box-office draw, and this latest misfire arrives just as speculation grows over the future of the Alien series following the success of Alien: Romulus.
The Dog Stars has grossed only $18 million worldwide against a reported $70 million budget, making it Scott's lowest-grossing release since 2013's The Counselor. It stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce, and received lukewarm reviews, sitting at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it "derivative and drowsy". The film follows other costly recent misfires for Scott, including The Last Duel, Napoleon and Gladiator II, and comes as fans await word on a possible Alien sequel, with director Fede Álvarez confirmed not to be returning.
- The Dog Stars flops with just $18 million against a $70 million budget.
- It's Scott's worst box-office result since The Counselor in 2013.
- Comes amid rumours Scott may return to direct another Alien film.
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Ridley Scott is one of Hollywood's best-known directors, with a career spanning decades and credits including Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator. Now 88, he continues to work at a fast pace, regularly releasing new films, though several of his recent big-budget projects have failed to bring in large audiences at the cinema.
His latest film, The Dog Stars, is a science-fiction release starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce. It arrives at a time when there is renewed interest in the Alien franchise, the series Scott originally created in 1979, following the recent box-office success of Alien: Romulus, and amid discussion about who might direct a further instalment.
The wider context is a run of costly films from Scott, including The Last Duel, Napoleon and Gladiator II, that have underperformed relative to their budgets, prompting scrutiny of his commercial track record even as his creative output remains prolific.