Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce are in final discussions to join the cast of Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars. The 20th Century Studios film already has Jacob Elordi as a part of its cast.
The Dog Stars is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 post-apocalyptic thriller novel of the same name and is adapted to screen by Mark L Smith. The film is set in the near future in Colorado when the world's population has been ravaged by a pandemic. A civilian pilot, Hig (Elordi), leads a solitary life on a deserted Colorado airfield, accompanied only by his dog and a tough ex-Marine (Josh Brolin). Despite their stark differences, the two men rely on one another to protect themselves from wandering invaders. After a crash landing, Hig meets Cima (Margaret Qualley), a young doctor, and her father (Guy Pearce), a protective rancher, at a secluded ranch. This encounter sparks a possibility for a brighter, more intelligent future for all.
Scott and Michael Pruss will produce for Scott Free alongside Smith and Cliff Roberts. The Dog Stars comes immediately after the release of Gladiator II for Ridley Scott. Principal photography for the film will begin at the end of April in Italy and the Dolomite region.
The film marks a reunion for director Scott with Josh Brolin, his collaborator on American Gangster, and also with Guy Pearce, with whom he worked on Prometheus. Qualley was last seen in the critically acclaimed The Substance. She has Huntington and Honey Don't coming up. Brolin is currently filming for the third instalment of the Knives Out series, Wake Up Dead Man, as well as The Running Man. Pearce was last seen in The Brutalist alongside Adrien Brody, for which he received several accolades, including an Oscar nomination.