Why Josh Brolin Nearly Walked Off Set On Day One Of Ridley Scott's New Movie

Ridley Scott's upcoming movie, "The Dog Stars," has a highly-talented cast that includes Josh Brolin, but the actor almost walked away from the project on his first day. Brolin, who previously worked with Scott in "American Gangster," had a tough start on the new set.

During his first day, Brolin was bothered by Scott's approach of not rehearsing and focusing more on storytelling. Displeased, he called his agent, expressing his desire to leave the project. Brolin explained that he felt something wasn't right and insisted on leaving despite his agent's suggestion to take a day's rest.

Scott's unconventional method, aiming to retain the impromptu energy of a scene, meant fewer rehearsals, which seemed to agitate Brolin. Following his agent's advice, Brolin found the essence of his character in "The Dog Stars," a film portraying a plightful struggle in the aftermath of a deadly flu pandemic.

Brolin plays the role of a firearm enthusiast, a neighbor to Jacob Elordi's protagonist. The actor credits Scott for changing his mind and staying on the project. Scott showed Brolin the dynamic scene he had just finished, which turned the tide for the actor and made him enjoy the filming process more.

"The Dog Stars," based on Peter Heller's book and adapted for the screen, is being viewed as a potential opportunity for Scott to attract Oscar consideration since he steps out of his usual historical theme. Brolin has also found the project creatively satisfying and stratospherically dangerous, making it one of the most exciting projects he's worked on.

Looking back, if Brolin had decided to walk away, "The Dog Stars" would have been a dramatically different film. Admirably, Brolin stayed on and managed to find his footing in this unique project despite initial difficulties, leaving fans excited for the release on August 28, 2026.