Updated
Updated · Variety · Aug 30
The Dog Stars Opens to $8 Million, Sinking on 40% Reviews and C+ Audience Score
Updated
Updated · Variety · Aug 30

The Dog Stars Opens to $8 Million, Sinking on 40% Reviews and C+ Audience Score

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Aug 30

Summary

  • $8 million from 3,330 theaters left Disney and 20th Century’s “The Dog Stars” in fifth place on its opening weekend, a weak start for a film that cost more than $80 million.
  • A 40% Rotten Tomatoes score and a C+ CinemaScore signaled poor reception from both critics and audiences, leaving the Ridley Scott thriller poised to lose tens of millions theatrically.
  • The miss echoes Scott’s 2021 flop “The Last Duel,” which opened to $4.7 million, and adds another uneven result to Disney’s summer despite hits from “Toy Story 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
  • Elsewhere, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” stayed No. 1 with $22.2 million and an $891 million domestic total, while “Coyote vs. Acme” debuted in third with $13.5 million.

Insights

Could the spectacular box office crash of 'The Dog Stars' signal the end of big-budget, director-driven sci-fi in modern theaters?
Why did Ridley Scott's visually stunning $80 million post-apocalyptic thriller fail to capture audiences despite its acclaimed source material?