Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars Trailer: A Hopeful Twist on Post-Apocalyptic Cinema

For two decades, pop culture has fixated on the end of the world, from The Hunger Games to The Walking Dead to Snowpiercer. These stories often follow a familiar pattern: fleeting moments of safety and kindness shattered by violence and humanity’s worst impulses.

Yet the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars suggests a different vision. Set to a slower, soulful rendition of Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic, the trailer introduces Jacob Elordi as Hig, a pilot navigating a ruined world with his loyal dog—the last remnant of his pre-apocalypse happiness. While his partner Bangley (Josh Brolin) embraces a ruthless survivalist ethos, Hig seeks something more, potentially finding it with medic Cima (Margaret Qualley).

The trailer radiates optimism, a stark contrast to its desolate surroundings. This hope is rooted in the film’s source material: Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, which became a genre hit not only for its bleak realism but also for its humor and poetic portrayal of a soulful hero. If Scott can translate these elements to the screen, The Dog Stars may carve its own legacy in his storied career.

The Dog Stars arrives at a cultural inflection point. Moviegoers are increasingly drawn to stories that offer hope amid collapse, as seen in Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir’s novel adapted into a buddy comedy starring Ryan Gosling. That film’s success proves audiences crave camaraderie in the face of doom—even if its directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, are known for lighter fare.

Ridley Scott, however, has never shied away from darkness. His filmography—from the corporate greed of Alien to the existential dread of Blade Runner and the military failures of Black Hawk Down—often leans into bleakness. Even Thelma & Louise, which ends on a triumphant note, features its protagonists driving off a cliff.

Yet Scott has also delivered optimism, notably in The Martian, another adaptation of an Andy Weir novel. If he maintains that tone for The Dog Stars, he could offer a rare blend of hope and hardship—while adding another box office triumph to his résumé.

The Dog Stars releases in theaters on August 28, 2026.