The world premiere of the post-apocalyptic drama The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott, took place at the Odeon Luxe cinema in Leicester Square. The film, the 88-year-old director’s first full-length work since Gladiator II, is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Peter Heller. The plot centers on the survival story of pilot Hig and a former marine in a world devastated by a flu pandemic.
The lead actor, Jacob Elordi, appeared on the red carpet of the premiere. The actor who portrayed Pilot Hig onscreen appeared before photographers in a classic dark blue pinstriped suit, a nod to the aesthetics of Old Hollywood. Elordi’s appearance with his German Shepherd, Rak Jasper—one of the actors’ dogs who played the protagonist’s faithful companion—attracted particular attention. In an interview, the artist noted that working with his dog was one of the most rewarding parts of the filming process for him.
Among the event’s participants was Margaret Qualley, who played one of the key roles. The actress chose a dark textured midi dress and a pair of sandals from the Chanel 2027 cruise collection, created by creative director Mathieu Blasi. The shoe model, thanks to its thin straps, created the illusion that the actress was walking down the red carpet barefoot.
The cast of the film also included Josh Brolin, who played the military survivalist Bangley, as well as Guy Pearce and Benedict Wong, who played important roles in the film. Ridley Scott himself personally headed the premiere together with his wife Giannina Facio.
The premiere was also attended by famous guests not directly connected with the production of the film. Among them are the legendary guitarist of the band Queen Sir Brian May, as well as models and media personalities: Georgia Meacham, Tigerlily Taylor and Tasha Guri.
Ridley Scott with his wife Giannina Facio
Ridley Scott, in conversations with journalists, emphasized the conceptual differences of his film from typical dystopias.
There are a lot of zombie films out there now. There are no zombies in our film, the director emphasized.
According to him, Mark L. Smith’s script attracted him with its idea of optimism, human dignity and faith in hope.
The scale of filming was not inferior to the scope of Scott’s previous works: despite the fact that the production period took only 34 days, a significant part of the scenes were shot on location in Italy. In particular, in the city of Avezzano, they realized a technically complex and dangerous scene of an airplane landing right on the city streets.
The film will be released on August 26 in UK cinemas, and on August 28 the film will be released in the USA and other countries.
