The Walt Disney Company published a new interview with director and producer Ridley Scott and actor Josh Brolin on August 27, ahead of 20th Century Studios' post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars opening in theaters Friday, August 28.
The conversation focuses on the film's central relationship: two survivors who depend on each other while treating the outside world as a threat.
Hig and Bangley Drive The Dog Stars' Survival Story
Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a young pilot and former mechanic who lives at a defensible airstrip with Bangley, a former Marine played by Brolin. The men search for food, fuel and medicine after a deadly flu pandemic has left society in ruins.
Hig remains alert to the possibility of other survivors. Bangley is more suspicious, and Scott describes him as a protector who has built his identity around staying ready for violence. A mysterious radio transmission eventually sends Hig away from the airstrip to find its source.
Josh Brolin Describes Bangley's Dependence on Hig
“They absolutely need each other,” Brolin said in the Disney interview. Bangley presents himself as self-sufficient, but Brolin said the character's confidence covers a basic need to be valued by another person.
That tension gives the thriller its human conflict. Hig looks beyond the airstrip for people and supplies, while Bangley tries to protect the small piece of stability they have built together.
Ridley Scott Adapted Peter Heller's Novel for the Screen
The Dog Stars is based on Peter Heller's novel, with a screenplay by Mark L. Smith. Scott said the story reached him through the producers and held his attention as he read it. The film was shot in Italy from April through June 2025, with Allison Janney joining the cast as Darlene.
The cast also includes Margaret Qualley as Cima, Guy Pearce as Pops and Benedict Wong as Aaron. The story moves from Hig and Bangley's isolated airstrip to communities that preserve different skills and ideas about survival.
The Dog Stars Opens in Theaters August 28
The Dog Stars is a 20th Century Studios thriller directed and produced by Scott, rated R, and scheduled to open August 28. The film stars Elordi, Brolin, Qualley, Pearce, Wong and Janney. Showtimes and participating theaters can vary by location.
Sources: The Walt Disney Company interview with Ridley Scott and Josh Brolin and the official 20th Century Studios film page.
Image: The Walt Disney Company.