Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce to Star in Ridley Scott’s Dystopian Thriller “The Dog Stars”

by Annika February 13, 2025

Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce are in final talks to join the cast of Ridley Scott’s upcoming dystopian thriller, “The Dog Stars.” This follows Jacob Elordi’s earlier casting as the lead. The film is an adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 apocalyptic novel of the sophisticated name and centres on a pilot living in a post-pandemic world.

Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce to Star in Ridley Scott’s Dystopian Thriller “The Dog Stars”

– Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce are in final negotiations to join Jacob Elordi in Ridley Scott’s upcoming dystopian thriller, The Dog Stars.
– The film, written by Mark L. Smith, is an adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 apocalyptic novel about a pilot surviving a pandemic with his dog and an ex-Marine.
– Ridley Scott’s production company ‘Scott Free’ is producing the film, and actors Qualley, Brolin, and Pearce are expected to make significant contributions based on their stellar previous performances.

The upcoming dystopian movie by Ridley Scott, The Dog Stars, is advancing its casting process, previously announcing Jacob Elordi as the starring role. It now has Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce in final discussions for significant parts in the 20th Century Studios film. The screenplay, penned by Mark L. Smith, is based on the 2012 apocalypse novel by Peter Heller, bearing the same title.

The narrative of The Dog Stars revolves around a civilian pilot residing at an unused airbase with his loyal canine and a former Marine companion amid a global pandemic. A sudden radio transmission that the pilot intercepts from his 1956 Cessna heralds the potential for a better existence.

The Hollywood Reporter disclosed last month that discussions were underway with Elordi to potentially step into the role initially planned for Paul Mescal. Scott during a showing of Gladiator II in December hinted that Mescal might not be involved with The Dog Stars project because of his commitments to Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-movie Beatles project. However, it is yet unconfirmed by Sony that Mescal was being considered for the role of Paul McCartney.

The Dog Stars movie is produced under Scott’s Scott Free banner by Smith and Cliff Roberts.

Qualley received recognition for her performance in The Substance from the previous year and is expected to appear in the upcoming films Honey Don’t! and Happy Gilmore 2. Meanwhile, Brolin’s future projects consist of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and the reimagining of The Running Man by Edgar Wright. Pearce has been honored with his first-ever Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role in The Brutalist.

The news regarding the possible inclusion of Qualley, Brolin, and Pearce was first reported by Deadline.