Ridley Scott’s Divisive 2017 Sci-Fi Prequel Is Dominating Streaming Charts

Director Ridley Scott’s grand return to the sci-fi genre with The Dog Stars didn’t turn out as well as anyone involved would have liked. The movie received mediocre reviews and grossed only around $15 million at the domestic box office. Starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, The Dog Stars has emerged as one of Scott’s biggest underperformers, having lost more than 95% of its theatrical footprint in less than a month. In the run-up to the film’s release, Scott spoke about wanting to return to his career-defining sci-fi Alien franchise by directing a follow-up to a 2017 installment whose unimpressive performance sent the series into hibernation for several years. Now, the movie in question is enjoying a major viewership spike on streaming, nearly a decade after its release.

Scott said that the franchise’s most recent installment, Alien: Romulus, was just about “okay.” In fact, Romulus significantly outgrossed Scott’s own Alien movie from 2017 and earned more positive reviews. Scott was similarly indifferent toward Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, which many said was superior to the original sci-fi classic. Either way, the Alien franchise is stuck in limbo, because Romulus director Fede Álvarez has declined to return and Scott has announced something of a takeover.