Ridley Scott‘s thriller feature The Dog Stars has found a new leading man.
Jacob Elordi is in early negotiations to replace Paul Mescal, who had been previously set to star in the 20th Century Studios movie. Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson wrote the script, adapting Peter Heller’s 2012 apocalyptic novel of the same name.
The Dog Stars centers on a civilian pilot living on an abandoned airbase with his dog and an ex-Marine amid a devastating pandemic. A random transmission picked up by the pilot’s radio from his 1956 Cessna offers hope for a better life.
Smith and Cliff Roberts serve as producers on the film that hails from Scott’s Scott Free banner.
The Hollywood Reporter was first to report last month that Scott said at a Gladiator II screening that Mescal would likely drop out of reteaming with him in The Dog Stars due to the actor being busy with Sam Mendes’ four-film Beatles project. Sony has not confirmed Mescal’s rumored casting as Paul McCartney.
“Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next,” Scott said at the time. “So I may have to let him go.”
Elordi is known for such films as Saltburn, Priscilla and Oh, Canada and the hit show Euphoria. He is set to star in the Prime Video series The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and his forthcoming features include Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights opposite Margot Robbie and Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix movie Frankenstein.
Variety was first to report the news of Elordi’s involvement.
