“You fight for life until the very end.” These are the words that close the final trailer for *The Dog Stars*, Ridley Scott’s new film that brings to the big screen a devastated world where daily survival becomes a struggle against loneliness, fear, and the loss of what truly makes us human.
An epic and gripping thriller set in a post-apocalyptic future, where survival is a primal instinct, but choosing to remain human is the greatest challenge. Based on Peter Heller’s acclaimed bestseller *The Dog Stars*, the film explores the fine line between the need to survive and the even deeper need to find a reason to carry on.
Leading the cast is Jacob Elordi, who plays Hig, a young pilot who, after the collapse of civilization as we know it, lives in isolation alongside Bangley—played by Josh Brolin—a former soldier skilled in survival techniques. The two have built a sort of refuge in a hostile, lawless world, protecting themselves from external threats and the void left by the end of society. But a mysterious radio transmission will change everything, prompting Hig to leave the safety of his shelter and embark on a journey into the unknown, in search of a glimmer of hope and that sense of humanity he continues to hold onto.
Alongside Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, the film features a cast of critically acclaimed actors, including Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce. The screenplay was written by Mark L. Smith, who also adapted the film from Peter Heller’s novel. The film follows the literary success of the novel by Heller, a journalist, essayist, and contributor to *National Geographic Adventure*, who has always been drawn to themes of nature, exploration, and the relationship between humans and the environment.
Directed by Ridley Scott, a filmmaker whose career has spanned decades of cinema, ranging from science fiction to thrillers to grand epic tales, *The Dog Stars – The Stars After the End* will hit Italian theaters on August 26, 2026.
[📸 Courtesy of 20th Century Studios]
