Ridley Scott’s "The Dog Stars: The End of the World" looks at our present (and also at Italy)

If the world were truly to end, what would become of humanity? It is an age-old question that recent years – including the pandemic – have suddenly made a very real prospect, with the future seeming to draw dangerously close to the present. Cinema has always addressed this question, and few filmmakers have explored it as extensively as Ridley Scott: the xenomorphs of "Alien", the replicants of "Blade Runner", and the struggle for survival in space in "The Martian".

In "The Dog Stars – Le stelle dopo la fine", in cinemas from 26 August courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Italia, survival is, however, far less space-related and far more down-to-earth. Based on the novel of the same name by Peter Heller, the film depicts a world decimated by a lethal virus, where the few survivors must defend themselves, above all, against other human beings. At the centre of the story is Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who lost his wife in the pandemic and lives next to an abandoned airstrip with his dog Jasper and the former soldier Bangley (Josh Brolin). Two contrasting ways of living amidst the ruins: Bangley guards the territory and regards everyone as a threat, whilst Hig flies his Cessna in search of signs of life. When he picks up a mysterious radio transmission, he believes it is possible that somewhere out there, something resembling the lost world still exists. The cast also includes Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce.

“Survival is precisely the central theme of the film,” says Scott. “With Covid, we’ve seen how such scenarios could be just around the corner. I believe that much of what could prove fatal to humanity is already happening, from climate change to chaos in many parts of the world. But this is neither a documentary nor a sermon: a film must entertain, whilst also challenging you, and capture what sets us apart as human beings: empathy, determination, and even humour.”

Loss, despair and the choice of what to cling to lie at the heart of the story. “When all is lost and society no longer exists, meaning must be sought in something deeper,” says Margaret Qualley. “In relationships, in community, in love, in the simple things. Those are the things that will survive forever.” Guy Pearce, who previously starred in Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, adds: “When you read the book and then the screenplay, you realise there is a deeper layer, a voice that goes beyond the story.”

There’s no shortage of humour, as was already evident in "The Martian". “When Blade Runner came out, many journalists criticised me for its gloom,” says Scott. “Today I think it’s great to show how humour always finds a place. Unless you’re staging Macbeth, you need moments of light-heartedness. Here, a lot of it stems from the relationship between Elordi and Brolin: they reminded me of cinema’s ‘odd couples’, a bit like Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.”

Brolin, who previously worked with Scott on "American Gangster", highlights his approach: “Ridley creates a free-wheeling atmosphere on set, where you never quite know what’s going on. That way, we actors can experiment and discover new interpretations whilst we’re filming.”

And then there’s the landscape, which also makes "The Dog Stars" an Italian story: Scott’s post-apocalyptic Colorado was largely recreated in our country. Filming took place between April and June 2025 in Rome (and Cinecittà), Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto – with the Dolomites disguised as the mountains of Colorado – Abruzzo and Lazio. Scott jokes about the choice, having also filmed in Calgary: “For a start, the food’s better in Italy! And then Canada is majestic but harsh: you’re walking through the forest and the next thing you know you’ve lost your bearings, with the constant fear of wolves and bears. Italy has always held a special place in my heart.” Behind the joke lies something more: for Pearce, those mountains “do half the work”, because a real setting sets the mood and tone all by itself. “We were staying in a small village, with two or three restaurants,” says Brolin. “We all lived close by, so we ended up bumping into each other all the time, both on set and off: it created a real sense of community.” For Elordi, filming in Italy meant working within an inescapable cinematic legacy: “For many in the crew, it’s a craft passed down from generation to generation. You can feel it everywhere, especially at Cinecittà: there are still props from Fellini scattered all over the place.” Scott brings it full circle: “Italian and French cinema were my training ground, even before Hollywood.” He recounts meeting Sergio Leone and Federico Fellini, who showed him round the studios. “I still remember his scarf.” And who knows – perhaps, after the end of the world, cinema will be one of the things capable of surviving it. Like a star we continue to gaze at even when everything else is shrouded in darkness.