Hideo Kojima Gives Official Verdict On Ridley Scott’s New Sci-Fi Return Amid Polarizing Reviews

Published Sep 1, 2026, 12:14 PM EDT Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay. Hideo Kojima's The Dog Stars review is here. Directed by Ridley Scott, the post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie adapts the novel of the same name by Peter Heller. Despite a cast that includes Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce, The Dog Stars reviews have been less than stellar from critics. Now, Kojima, who is best known for creating the Metal Gear video game franchise, has weighed in on The Dog Stars with a new post on X, and he isn't exactly gushing with praise. The video game creator's post discusses his relationship with Heller's novel and his expectations going in, but it stops short of providing what could be considered an actual review. Check out Kojima's post below: Peter Heller's original novel, “The Dog Stars” (previously published in Japanese under the title Itsuka Boku ga Kaeru Basho / The Place I'll Return to Someday), has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, unread. Since it's literary fiction rather than science fiction, I went to see the movie picturing it might be something along the lines of Cormac McCarthy's “The Road.” The music was by Harry. They weren't selling (didn’t make) a pamphlet for the film. As pointed out by several users in the replies, Kojima has made a habit of directly sharing his thoughts about a film when he likes it – as with his reviews for The Odyssey (2026) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) – but not commenting on quality when he doesn't. Kojima's review of The Last House (2026), for example, a film that was slammed by critics, amounts to him pointing out that the movie has several elements in common with his Death Stranding video game franchise. Elordi stars in The Dog Stars as Hig, a pilot who traverses a post-apocalyptic Colorado with his pet dog after a virus wiped out most of humanity. Though Hig has allies in this crumbling world, including fellow survivors played by Qualley, Brolin, and Pearce, he must also contend with roaming scavengers called Reapers. If Kojima was less than thrilled with The Dog Stars, he wouldn't be alone. The film marked Scott's highly anticipated return to the sci-fi genre after a number of years away, but the critical consensus is that it falls short of expectations. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Dog Stars has a lackluster 39% from critics, with criticism aimed at the movie's slow pace and overly familiar post-apocalyptic storytelling. Although the movie is said to feature some impressive visuals, Elordi's lead performance and his chemistry with Qualley also catch flak. In Jordan Williams' The Dog Stars review for ScreenRant, she awards a lukewarm score of six out of 10. For Williams, Scott and screenwriters Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson explore some interesting thematic subject matter, but the pacing and lack of narrative cohesion hold the movie back. Williams writes: The Dog Stars is at its best in the quieter moments that reclaim hope, peace, and humor at the end of the world. Scott says more in scenes that take place over a calm meal than he does in dialogue-heavy, emotive set pieces. Part of the issue is the pacing and tone, which never quite find a satisfying balance as Hig moves between locations and character groups. The Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter for The Dog Stars is higher at 71%, but this hasn't translated to box office success. The film has essentially bombed at the box office, grossing just $8 million in its opening weekend domestically on an $80 million budget. Though Scott directed classics like Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), and Gladiator (2000), many recent movies from the filmmaker, including Napoleon (2023), have been met with mixed receptions. It remains to be seen how The Dog Stars' reputation will evolve in the years ahead, but it would seem that Kojima wasn't entirely blown away by the film. Release Date August 28, 2026 Runtime 119 minutes Director Ridley Scott Writers Mark L. Smith Producers Mark L. Smith, Michael A. Pruss, Ridley Scott, Cliff Roberts