Josh Brolin tried to quit Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars after one day — here’s why

So here’s one for you: Josh Brolin, of all people, nearly walked off Ridley Scott’s latest sci-fi film on his very first day. Just didn’t fancy it, apparently. And before you ask—yes, Ridley Scott is still at it, still ushering big stars to dramatic locations and confounding them with his very particular approach to filmmaking.

Brolin Hits a Wall

The film in question is ‘The Dog Stars’, which, if you’re the literary sort, you might know as Peter Heller’s post-apocalyptic novel from 2012. This is Scott’s follow-up to ‘Gladiator II’ (note: the man really doesn’t let up), and it was all going a bit sideways for Brolin from the moment he landed on set in Italy.

Coming off a run of exhausting shoots for ‘Weapons’, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’, and ‘The Running Man’, Brolin was—understandably—hoping for a few days to ease in and rehearse. Instead, he found himself in the middle of what he described as a lot of Ridley Scott 'talking stories and not really rehearsing'. That’s not exactly what Brolin had pictured, and he admits it left him, frankly, ‘really scared’.

'I went back, called my agent and said, "I want out. Something’s really wrong, and I’ve got to get the f**k out of here."'

Strong words, and probably not what Ridley had pencilled in for Day One.

Settling Into Ridley-World

Here’s where it gets a bit more human. Brolin’s agent told him to give it a day, let things breathe. Good advice, as it turns out. It wasn’t long before Brolin adjusted to the chaos—he even started to see the method in Scott’s apparent madness. According to Brolin, once he embraced the process, the whole thing became ‘stratospherically creative and stratospherically dangerous’. Which, let’s be honest, sounds about right for a Ridley Scott joint.

The Gang Scott Together

• Josh Brolin – nearly bailed, decided to stay, lead role
• Jacob Elordi – you know, the current heartthrob, also starring
• Margaret Qualley – always intriguing, on the cast list
• Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, Guy Pearce – you’re not short of strong personalities here

Behind the camera (in addition to Scott as director), we've got Michael Pruss, Mark L. Smith, and Cliff Roberts producing alongside him. Executive producers include Lily Brooks-Dalton, Brandon Scott Smith, Peter Heller himself, and Aidan Elliott. No shortage of cooks in this particular kitchen.

Bit of Buzz to Come

In case you missed it, ‘The Dog Stars’ already dropped a trailer earlier this month, which should give you a taste of the whole creative/dangerous energy. The film’s due out for a cinema release on 28 August 2026—so you’ve got some time to brace yourself (or, if you’re Brolin, to think it all over again).