Having confirmed in the run up to the upcoming release of Gladiator II that he has no plans to retire from filmmaking, Ridley Scott is now looking to set up his next next project.
As reported by Deadline, Scott is looking to reunite with Gladiator II lead Paul Mescal on The Dog Stars, an adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 book from screenwriter Mark L. Smith (The Revenant). The plan would be to shoot the project in 2025, once Scott completes his upcoming biopic about the legendary music group the Bee Gees.
According to the synopsis, The Dog Stars “is set in a near future where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society. However, a civilian pilot lives a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine. The two men, though mismatched, depend on each other to fend off roaming invaders. And when a random transmission beams through the radio of the pilot’s 1956 Cessna, the hope of a better life opens up and the pilot follows its static-broken trail.”
Before they get to The Dog Stars, Scott and Mescal have Gladiator II arriving this month – check back this week coming for our review.
“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.”
Gladiator II sees Paul Mescal leading a cast that also includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Lucas, and Derek Jacobi.
Gladiator II will be released in cinemas on November 15th in the UK and November 22nd in North America.