The Dog Stars Is a Dog at the Box Office
Vulture • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Ridley Scott's latest film, The Dog Stars, opened domestically to a disappointing $8 million against an $80 million budget, signaling a lack of profitability.
- The postapocalyptic action movie, despite starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, ranked fifth at the box office behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Coyote vs. Acme, The Odyssey, and Insidious: Out of the Further.
- The film’s poor performance highlights that even IMAX screenings cannot attract audiences to movies lacking strong interest or recognition.
- This underwhelming opening continues a trend for Scott, who has not had a major box office hit since The Martian in 2015, with recent films like The Last Duel, Napoleon, and Gladiator II also underperforming relative to their budgets.
- The reception also suggests that Jacob Elordi has yet to reach the star power of peers like Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet, indicating he may need a bigger franchise role to boost his appeal.
