Sir Ridley Scott has warned that the events depicted in his new post-apocalyptic film, The Dog Stars, are not distant fiction but a reality that could arrive soon, if it has not already begun. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the 88-year-old director insisted that the film's premise is closer to actual events than many might think.
Based on Peter Heller's 2012 novel, The Dog Stars is set in 2035, following a devastating influenza pandemic that nearly wipes out humanity. The story centres on Hig, played by Jacob Elordi, a mechanic and pilot living in an abandoned airport in Eerie, Colorado, with his dog Jasper and a former Marine named Bangley, portrayed by Josh Brolin.
Scott: 'It's around the corner, isn't it? Every day'
Reflecting on the project, which was developed after the Covid-19 pandemic, Scott told Metro and other press: 'Well, it's around the corner, isn't it? Every day.' He elaborated on how current world events mirror the film's themes, saying: 'People don't watch the news, and I'm a newshound so I watch the global news twice a day, and a lot of this is happening already. We've just got blinkers on, on every level: climate change, chaos in certain territories around the world – I'm not going to mention where they are – but there's chaos fundamentally. Calamities.'
The filmmaker, known for Gladiator and Blade Runner, confirmed that this uncomfortable closeness to reality was a key reason he chose to make the movie. 'I don't want to make it into a documentary, but it does need to, in that very loose term, “entertain”. But “entertain” should also challenge you. You can't just sit there grinning at some stupid movie, but it's great when it starts telling you something, the film starts speaking to you,' he said. 'I think the film speaks to you, but as an under[tone], as a platform. But I try and find on top of that the human behaviour, which is the empathy, the sympathy.'
Cast reflect on post-pandemic resonance
Actor Guy Pearce, who plays another survivor encountered by Hig, alongside his medically trained daughter Cima (Margaret Qualley), also commented on the film's resonance after Covid. 'For some people, the Covid experience was incredibly tragic because they lost loved ones close to them. For the rest of us, I think it was just a kind of a strange, shocking wake-up call that was so unusual that the whole world was experiencing this thing at the same time,' he said. 'The setting in our film is even more extreme, obviously. But it just feels like it's not that far away, as Ridley says.'
Scott admitted he tried 'to hide what I think underneath because I tend to get very dark, being Celtic'. He recalled criticism of his earlier work, saying: 'I was killed on Blade Runner for being so dark – I've never forgotten that.' He referenced being 'crucified' by Pauline Kael's review of the 1982 film, which he described as 'four pages of destruction', and which he has framed in his office. 'What it taught me is don't read your own press, good or bad,' he added.
Elordi and Brolin praise Scott's direction
The Dog Stars marks Jacob Elordi's first collaboration with Scott. The actor, known for Wuthering Heights, took over the lead role from Paul Mescal, who exited due to commitments to Sam Mendes' Beatles biopic series. Elordi said Scott 'exceeded' his expectations. 'I just had such a great time. He's so wonderful to work with and so open to us as actors. He's obviously such a visual filmmaker, but he gave us such freedom within the text to kind of do what we wanted to do, and he gave us the space to do that,' he said. 'But that's not necessarily surprising because he's one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He kind of lives up to and exceeds expectations.'
Josh Brolin, who previously worked with Scott on American Gangster in 2007, marvelled at the director's enduring energy. 'Normal people age. He doesn't! I was just thinking of American Gangster and the pressure of having such a big film and you have Denzel [Washington], Russell [Crowe], all these personalities. He's somebody who has the confidence without bringing in a self-absorbed ego to tell people, “We need to shift” or “I don't believe this moment”. Somebody who's enough of a visionary but also has the ability to manipulate his actors without his actors getting their tail between their legs,' Brolin said. 'So, he inspires, but he's also getting what he wants. And you're happy about it! You know he's manipulating you and you're happy about it.'
Scott interjected with a laugh, 'But can you imagine Denzel, Russell and him? Are you kidding?' Brolin conceded, 'It was a colourful set.'
The Dog Stars is released in UK cinemas on Wednesday, August 26, and in the US on Friday, August 28.
