Ridley Scott’s New Sci-Fi Movie Release Date Delayed (and It’s For the Best)

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2026 promises to be a huge year for science fiction movies, with several exciting projects in development. One of the most anticipated is a film adaptation of the novel The Dog Stars, directed by the renowned Ridley Scott. Scott is a Hollywood legend known for directing classic sci-fi films like Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian. While his return to the genre has generated a lot of buzz for The Dog Stars, moviegoers will have to be patient as the release date is still some time away.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the movie The Dog Stars will now be released on August 28, 2026, instead of its original date of March 27, 2026. Disney also shifted its release schedule around, moving the horror sequel Ready or Not 2 into the March slot previously held by The Dog Stars.

Why Delaying The Dog Stars Is For the Best

It’s disappointing when a movie gets delayed, but postponing the release of The Dog Stars was a smart decision. March will see the premiere of Project Hail Mary, which is shaping up to be the biggest sci-fi movie of 2026. The first trailer for Project Hail Mary was a huge hit, and the film is already creating a lot of excitement, especially considering how good the original book is – it has the potential to be truly exceptional. The Dog Stars was initially scheduled to come out just a week after Project Hail Mary, and releasing them so close together would have meant they’d be competing with each other in theaters.

Although Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars are different films, they’re likely to appeal to similar viewers. If they had been released close together, they could have taken ticket sales away from each other. While some popular movies successfully share release dates, that usually happens when they’re very different genres aimed at different audiences—like with Barbenheimer or Glicked. Fortunately, a delay in the release schedule means Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars will each have their moment in the spotlight without directly competing for viewers.

Late August looks like a good time to release The Dog Stars. Typically, the summer movie season is winding down then, so it shouldn’t face strong competition. If people enjoy it, The Dog Stars could be the biggest movie released that month. Currently, it’s scheduled to open alongside Coyote vs. Acme and a new version of Cliffhanger, but those films are different enough in style that they shouldn’t significantly impact each other’s box office numbers, as long as no other release dates change. For example, Coyote vs. Acme is aimed at families with its cartoon-based story.

Disney made a smart move by rescheduling The Dog Stars. While we don’t know how much the film cost to make, director Scott is known for big, ambitious projects, so it was likely a significant investment. Avoiding a direct competition with another popular sci-fi film gives The Dog Stars a better chance to succeed. Hopefully, this means both Project Hail Mary and The Dog Stars will do well, and audiences will be debating which one they liked more, rather than wondering why one underperformed.

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2025-12-23 22:17