Ridley Scott’s ‘The Dog Stars’ Receives C+ CinemaScore Amid Struggling Release

Opening weekends can significantly impact a film’s narrative before audience feedback has a chance to develop, and few metrics are as telling as CinemaScore. For a film like Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic drama ‘The Dog Stars’, which faced challenges from the start, this grade often becomes a pivotal headline in a tough story.

Arriving in theaters this weekend, ‘The Dog Stars’ was already contending with soft preview numbers and a mixed critical reception. With the star power of Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, expectations were high for a more favorable audience response to help mitigate these early setbacks.

Unfortunately, those hopes took another hit this weekend. ‘The Dog Stars’ earned a C+ from opening night viewers on CinemaScore, a rating that highlights the ongoing difficulties this release has faced.

This audience grade aligns with the film’s overall critical reception. Currently, ‘The Dog Stars’ holds a 39 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics largely unimpressed, although it does boast a more favorable 70 percent audience score on the platform’s Popcornmeter, as reported by TheWrap.

The CinemaScore grade comes alongside a disappointing box office performance for the film. ‘The Dog Stars’ opened to an estimated $7 million domestically from 3,330 locations, which is underwhelming for a project with a reported production budget of up to $110 million, excluding marketing costs.

This combination of a mediocre CinemaScore and lackluster ticket sales paints a challenging picture for the film’s future. Historically, CinemaScore grades have been reliable indicators of a film’s longevity in theaters, as positive word of mouth typically leads to better box office performance—something a C+ grade rarely achieves.

The film follows Hig, a former civilian pilot portrayed by Elordi, as he navigates a post-apocalyptic world after a devastating flu pandemic, alongside Bangley, a tough former Marine played by Brolin. The supporting cast includes Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, and Benedict Wong in this adaptation of Peter Heller’s acclaimed 2012 novel.

For Scott, now 88 and still remarkably active behind the camera, this represents yet another challenging theatrical release following a series of similarly disappointing outcomes for his recent projects. Despite the rocky commercial response, the veteran filmmaker shows no signs of slowing down, with multiple high-profile projects reportedly in various stages of development.

Given the film’s high production costs, a C+ CinemaScore combined with a weak opening weekend presents ‘The Dog Stars’ with a significant challenge in recouping its budget. Without stronger word of mouth to encourage repeat viewership in the coming weeks, the film’s theatrical run may be shorter than its scale and cast would typically suggest.

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