Image via 20th Century Studios, courtesy Everett Collection
The wait for director Ridley Scott‘s return to the sci-fi genre wasn’t exactly worth it, with his latest movie, The Dog Stars, falling short of expectations both critically and commercially. The film has now spent 10 days in theaters, and has still not touched the $15 million mark at the domestic box office. This makes it one of the lowest-grossing films of Scott’s career, especially since the turn of the millennium. That said, Scott remains one of the 10 highest-grossing filmmakers in global box-office history, with his films having earned more than $5 billion in combined revenue. The Dog Stars isn’t as expensive as some of Scott’s recent epics — Gladiator II and Napoleon both reportedly cost more than $200 million — but it didn’t come cheap, either.
Starring Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, and Josh Brolin, the film cost a reported $70 million to produce and millions more to market. Going by Hollywood standards, it would need to gross around $150 million worldwide to break even. It’s currently sitting at around $23 million, with only $13 million having come from domestic theaters. The Dog Stars fell by around 65% in its sophomore frame at the domestic box office, barely staying inside the top 10.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Here’s Where ‘The Dog Stars’ Stands in Ridley Scott’s Filmography
The Dog Stars is currently his third-biggest flop of the last 26 years, having only overtaken the $10 million lifetime haul of The Last Duel and the $7.5 million haul of A Good Year. It continues to trail massive underperformers such as Matchstick Men and The Counselor. Mediocre reviews certainly didn’t help; the movie appears to have settled at a 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator website’s consensus reads, “A derivative and drowsy tour through the post-apocalypse, The Dog Stars‘ lush visuals can’t compensate for its listless narrative and underpowered pacing.” Scott is now putting together a presumably expensive Treasure Island adaptation, starring Hugh Jackman. He recently expressed an interest in taking over the creative reins of the Alien franchise and directing a follow-up to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. You can watch The Dog Stars in theaters and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
