Ridley Scott’s new film The Dog Stars opened in over 3,300 theaters. A month later, it’s playing in barely 100. That’s one of the steepest theatrical crashes of the year — and a rare miss for the 88-year-old director behind Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator.
- The Dog Stars crashed from 3,330 theaters to about 110 in just four weeks — one of 2026’s steepest theatrical drop-offs.
- The film has made roughly $14.9 million domestically and $38.9 million worldwide against a reported $110 million budget.
- It opened the same weekend as Coyote vs. Acme and had to compete with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, leaving little room to break out.
- Reviews were split — 41% from critics but 70% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes — with critics calling the story visually strong but too familiar.
- Despite the miss, Ridley Scott remains unfazed and has several new projects lined up, including a Treasure Island adaptation and his first western.
Quick Facts
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Studio: 20th Century Studios (Disney)
- US release: August 28, 2026
- Budget: Reported at $110 million (Deadline’s early estimate was $70–80 million)
- Domestic gross so far: About $14.9 million
- Worldwide gross: About $38.9 million
- Opening theater count: 3,330
- Theater count after week four: Around 110
- Rotten Tomatoes: 41% critics, 70% audience
- CinemaScore: C+
- Cast: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, Allison Janney
From 3,330 Theaters to 110 in Four Weeks
The Dog Stars opened on August 28 in 3,330 theaters. It made about $7.7 to $8 million that first weekend — the numbers differ slightly by source. Either way, it landed in fifth place. Analysts had expected $10 to $14 million. It fell short.
Add in $11.1 million from overseas, and the global opening came to roughly $19 million. That’s well under the $25 to $30 million Deadline had predicted before release.
Then things got worse fast. By weekend two, theaters had already cut the film down to about 1,030 locations. It made just $257,000. By weekend four, only 110 theaters were still showing it. The weekend take: $26,210. That works out to $238 per theater — a number that tells its own story. When a film earns that little per screen, theaters have basically given up on it. It’s just running out the clock before heading to streaming.
Add it all up, and The Dog Stars has made about $14.9 million domestically against a reported $110 million budget. And that budget doesn’t even include marketing. Studios also don’t keep every dollar a film earns at the box office — theaters take a cut too. So the real shortfall is even bigger than the raw numbers suggest.
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Wrong Movie, Wrong Weekend
Timing didn’t help. The Dog Stars opened the same weekend as Coyote vs. Acme, which beat it with a $15.46 million debut. It also had to fight for screens against two giants still packing theaters: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, closing in on $900 million domestically, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which had just become the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.
That’s a tough crowd to break into. A $110 million post-apocalyptic drama, with no franchise name attached and two rising stars — not A-list ones — leading the cast, simply didn’t have room to stand out.
Good Reviews From Fans, Not From Critics
The reviews split down the middle. Critics gave it 41% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it 70%. Opening-weekend moviegoers handed it a C+ CinemaScore.
The Guardian’s review summed up a common view: Scott still knows how to shoot a great-looking film, but the script never made its world or characters feel new. Other outlets said much the same thing. Beautiful to look at. Nothing you haven’t seen before.
The film is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, adapted by screenwriter Mark L. Smith. It follows Hig (Elordi), a pandemic survivor living on an abandoned Colorado air base with his dog and an armed companion named Bangley (Brolin). Everything changes when a mysterious radio signal pulls Hig out of hiding. Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, and Allison Janney round out the cast.
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Even the Budget Is Disputed
Here’s an odd wrinkle: nobody quite agrees on what this movie cost. Deadline’s early reporting put the budget at $70 to $80 million. Later numbers, including figures from The Numbers, put it at $110 million.
Either way, the film’s $38.9 million worldwide total isn’t close to covering it. Before release, industry estimates said the film would need about $275 million globally just to count as a theatrical success. It’s nowhere near that.
One Miss in an Otherwise Big Year for Disney
Disney had a strong summer overall. Toy Story 5 crossed $1.1 billion. The Devil Wears Prada 2 made about $692 million. But the studio also had its share of misses: the live-action Moana remake made $308 million against a $250 million budget, and The Mandalorian and Grogu made $345 million against $165 million.
The Dog Stars also echoes another Scott film for the same studio: The Last Duel, which opened to just $4.7 million in 2021 against a roughly $100 million budget. That film got far better reviews, though.
As for Scott himself, he doesn’t seem shaken. In recent interviews, he said his films are always “on the money” creatively, and he’s already looking ahead — a Treasure Island adaptation with Hugh Jackman, his first western, and a project about African elephants. One box office miss clearly isn’t slowing him down.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much money has The Dog Stars made?
About $14.9 million domestically and $38.9 million worldwide, as of late September 2026.
What was the budget?
Most reports say $110 million. Early estimates from Deadline had it lower, at $70 to $80 million.
Why did it flop?
A few reasons: it opened against three big films, reviews were mixed, the cast didn’t include major box office draws, and critics felt the story was too familiar for the genre.
How many theaters is it playing in now?
It opened in 3,330 theaters. By its fourth weekend, that number had dropped to around 110.
Is it based on a book?
Yes — Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name, adapted by Mark L. Smith.
Who’s in it?
Jacob Elordi plays Hig. Josh Brolin plays Bangley. Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, and Allison Janney also star.
Sources & References
- Collider — Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars Loses Movie Theaters, Box Office $15 Million
- Kursiv Media — $110mn The Dog Stars by Ridley Scott Collapses at US Box Office
- Variety (Australia) — US Box Office: ‘The Dog Stars’ Bombs With $8 Million
- The Numbers — The Dog Stars (2026)
