Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars disappoints at the box office

Ridley Scott's postapocalyptic film The Dog Stars had a weak opening weekend, taking in $19.3 million US against an estimated $80 million US production budget. The movie, starring Jacob Elordi and based on Peter Heller's novel, was criticized by reviewers for its slow pace, familiar genre choices and ending. Its performance adds to a run of recent boxoffice misses for Scott, including Napoleon and Gladiator 2. The article says the broader 2026 box office has been stronger overall, helped by original and standalone films such as Backrooms, Obsession, Project Hail Mary and Coyote vs. Acme. Industry data cited in the story shows U.S. domestic revenue was up 15 per cent from the same period last year, suggesting audiences are still turning out for films that feel fresh or distinct.