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Ridley Scott has completed The Dog Stars, his 30th film, extending a career that began with The Duellists in 1977. Jacob Elordi stars as a widower seeking hope in a post-apocalyptic society, in a stark, humanist story shaped by images of empty cities. Scott says he remains determined not to repeat himself and argues that repeatedly working ahead of the industry makes him “an influencer” rather than a film-maker.

Details

• Career landmarks: His filmography includes Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and The Martian. Scott describes every project as a vulnerable undertaking, while saying his films have been “on the money”. He rejects the focus on murdered-girl mysteries, exceptional FBI agents and superhero stories, insisting other stories exist.
• Apocalyptic influences: Scott drew inspiration for The Dog Stars from Peter Watkins’s 1966 nuclear-disaster film The War Game and from hotter summers. He says global warming is real and complacency has grown, warning that certain events could push society into chaos and a medieval condition within three months.
• Oscar recognition: In November, Scott will receive an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement after four Oscar nominations. Knighted in 2003 and elevated to Knight Grand Cross in 2024, he says he is touched by the award and regards it as “a nice feather in my cap”, while noting his major contribution to cinema.
• Future projects: Scott says he has never directed a western and has cast Hugh Jackman in a Treasure Island adaptation. He also wants to direct a musical and make a film about the African elephant. Alongside those plans, he has resumed painting and begun assembling a memoir.
• Remembering Tony: The memoir has returned Scott to memories of Tony Scott, his younger brother, who died in 2012 aged 68. Ridley cast him as a teenager in Boy and Bicycle, a 27-minute Royal College of Art film made for £65, before Tony went on to direct Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop.
• Early direction: Born in County Durham in 1937, Scott moved with his family to Germany at ten while his father worked on postwar reconstruction. Attending ten schools left him with one GCE, but a teacher who recognised his drawing steered him toward West Hartlepool Art College and later the Royal College of Art.

Between the lines

Scott’s description of “pitch-black optimism” is clearest in Gladiator. He considered Maximus’s death and reunion with his murdered wife and son essential, although that ending was not initially written. He travelled to Tuscany without Russell Crowe and used a double for the shot of Maximus’s hand brushing wheat, which became a symbol of immortality.

What’s next

Scott is due to receive his honorary Academy Award in November. His pipeline includes Treasure Island with Hugh Jackman, while work on his memoir continues.