About: The film tells the story of Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (Josh Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. But when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exist.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, Guy Pearce
Premiere: August 28, 2026
Budget: $110 Million
Opening Weekend: $7,709,729 (North America)
Score: 40% Tomatometer (Based on Critics’ Reviews) | 70% Popcornmeter (Based on Audience Scores)
Critics’ Consensus: A derivative and drowsy tour through the post-apocalypse, The Dog Stars‘ lush visuals can’t compensate for its listless narrative and underpowered pacing.
Audience Says: While its deliberate pace may not be everyone’s tempo, The Dog Stars undeniably shines thanks to the compelling performances of its lead cast.
Was It a Success? Ridley Scott has generally had a good record at the Box Office, but based on the opening weekend of Dog Stars, that does not include his latest film (using inflation adjusted numbers). It only managed to reach the Number 5 slot with its premiere, pulling in an anemic $7.7 million in domestic receipts. It was a very competitive weekend, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day holding firm at the Number 1 slot, the more family friendly Coyote vs. Acme debuting at Number 2, while strong performers The Odyssey and Insidious: Into the Further rounded out the Top 4. But the chances of Dog Stars gaining momentum in its second week are slim, especially after a poor critical reception, and the film has a long ways to go to recoup its $110 million budget. Other Ridley Scott films have faced poor Box Office reception and yet gone on to be considered classics–most notably Blade Runner–so time will tell on this one. But at this point, Dog Stars looks to count as financial flop in its theatrical.
Should You See It in Theaters? The critics have not been too favorable in their reviews of Dog Stars, but the audience has been a bit more positive, and apparently this is a visually stunning film.. But there is a lot to choose from in the theaters these days, so perhaps it is best to save the price of a ticket and wait for this one when it hits home video and streaming (which will likely be pretty quick).
Summer 2026 Results (Sorted by Worldwide Gross):
Here are the results for all of the Blockbuster season entries through the end of Summer 2026 (as of September 3rd). And watch for an upcoming post with a final analysis on the season.
| Title | Weeks in Release | Domestic Gross | Domestic % of Gross | Worldwide Gross | Budget | Worldwide % of Budget | Theatrical Run |
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day | 5 | $898,127,191 | 359% | $2,339,632,560 | $250M | 936% | Box Office Hit |
| The Odyssey | 7 | $569,907,035 | 253% | $1,559,295,035 | $225M | 693% | Box Office Hit |
| The Mandalorian and Grogu | Out of Theaters | $177,730,060 | 108% | $345,724,060 | $165M | 210% | Lost Money |
| Disclosure Day | Out of Theaters | $116,636,645 | 101% | $241,186,430 | $115M | 210% | Lost Money |
| Mortal Kombat II | Out of Theaters | $79,770,110 | 100% | $129,470,110 | $80M | 162% | Box Office Flop |
| Supergirl | Out of Theaters | $72,366,532 | 40% | $126,366,532 | $180M | 70% | Box Office Flop |
| Masters of the Universe | Out of Theaters | $64,830,245 | 38% | $113,763,426 | $170M | 67% | Box Office Flop |
| The End of Oak Street | 3 | $47,414,868 | 52% | $108,514,868 | $92M | 118% | On Target to Lose Money |
| Coyote vs. Acme | 1 | $21,218,187 | 30% | $24,066,445 | $70M | 34% | On Target to Lose Money |
| Dog Stars | 1 | $9,890,981 | 9% | $21,011,981 | $110M | 19% | On Target to Count as a Flop |
| Animal Farm | Out of Theaters | $5,564,037 | 16% | $6,099,901 | $35M | 17% | Box Office Flop |
Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com
You can see our rundown of all the sci fi and fantsy Summer Blockbusters at this link.
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