The wait for Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic thriller 'The Dog Stars' is finally over. The 20th Century Studios film releases exclusively in theaters on August 28, 2026, bringing Peter Heller's bestselling novel to the big screen under the vision of the legendary director behind Gladiator and The Martian.

The film follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a military survivalist, who have carved out an isolated existence in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. Their fragile stability is shattered when a mysterious radio transmission pushes Hig beyond their protected homestead in search of hope and humanity.

Beyond its survival-thriller premise, the film centers on isolation and the enduring possibility of human connection after societal collapse. The ensemble cast includes Margaret Qualley as Cima, a woman with a tragic past who finds connection with Hig, alongside Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce in pivotal roles.

Scripted by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), the film has been rated R for adult audiences. Scott's adaptation arrives amid growing audience appetite for literary sci-fi adaptations, with early trailers drawing comparisons to the director's atmospheric storytelling in Alien and The Martian.