2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for sci-fi cinema, as there are a number of exciting projects on the horizon. One of the more intriguing is an adaptation of the post-apocalyptic novel The Dog Stars, directed by Hollywood legend Ridley Scott. Over the course of his career, Scott has been responsible for several iconic sci-fi films, including Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian. His return to the genre makes The Dog Stars one of the most anticipated films of next year, but fans are going to have to wait a little longer before they get a chance to see it.
Videos by ComicBook.com
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Dog Stars‘ release date has been pushed back to August 28, 2026. It was previously scheduled to debut on March 27, 2026. This change was part of a series of moves Disney made to its upcoming release calendar; the studio moved anticipated horror sequel Ready or Not 2 to The Dog Stars‘ vacated March release date.
Why Delaying The Dog Stars Is For the Best
A release date delay can be frustrating for fans looking forward to a new film, but pushing The Dog Stars back was the right move. March is when Project Hail Mary, arguably the most exciting sci-fi film of 2026, premieres. Project Hail Mary is already building considerable interest (its first trailer broke viewership records) and is generating enthusiastic buzz. Especially when one considers the strength of its source material, Project Hail Mary could potentially be a masterpiece. The Dog Stars was originally supposed to open just one week after Project Hail Mary, meaning the two sci-fi films would be been pitted against each other at the box office.
While Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars are distinct, they’ll still be targeting similar demographics. If they premiered within a week of each other, there would have been a risk of cannibalization at the box office. There have been instances of high-profile films coexisting with each other, but in those cases, it’s typically two very different types of movies with different target audiences (Barbenheimer, Glicked). Thanks to the release date delay, Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars will be able to enjoy the spotlight to themselves instead of competing against each other for audience attention.
The end of August should be an ideal window for The Dog Stars. It won’t be facing much box office competition in general since that’s a time when things start to slow down after the rush of the summer movie season. Depending on the word of mouth, there’s a chance The Dog Stars could be the highest-profile release of the month. As things stand, The Dog Stars will be opening against Coyote vs. Acme and the Cliffhanger reboot, but all three of those are different enough from each other that there should be enough box office money to go around (barring any other release date shifts). Coyote vs. Acme is going to be more family friendly with its Looney Tunes premise, for instance.
It’s a smart business decision on the part of Disney to put The Dog Stars in a position where it can better succeed at the box office. The film’s production budget is unknown, but if Scott’s track record is anything to go by, The Dog Stars will be an ambitious project punctuated by massive scope and scale. This is all to say that the studio stands a better chance of recouping a potentially sizable investment if they aren’t going head to head with another hotly anticipated sci-fi movie. Hopefully, this move means both Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars will achieve great success and the biggest debate will be about which one is better — not why one fell short at the box office.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of HBO Max
