Jacob Elordi Eyed to Replace Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott’s "The Dog Stars"

Jacob Elordi is in early talks to star in Ridley Scott‘s post-apocalyptic thriller “The Dog Stars” for 20th Century, replacing Paul Mescal, who ran into scheduling issues.

Mescal, who stars in Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel, had been poised to star in the movie about a catastrophic flu virus that wipes out nearly all of humanity. But he was forced to drop out due to filming Sam Mendes‘ "Beatles" anthology.

Based on a 2012 novel by Peter Heller, the “Dog Stars” screenplay was written by Mark L. Smith (“Twisters”) and is expected to be Scott’s next movie after a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount.

Elordi, if his deal closes as is expected, would play a pilot named Hig who befriends a cranky gunman as they try to outlast a roaming band of scavengers called Reapers.

During a December conversation with fellow filmmaker Christopher Nolan that followed a “Gladiator II” screening, Scott hinted that Mescal’s involvement in the project was precarious.

“Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go,” he told Nolan. (Mescal is rumored to be playing Paul McCartney.)

But Elordi, too, has a packed schedule, with both the final season of HBO’s “Euphoria” and Warner Bros.’ “Wuthering Heights” opposite Margot Robbie set to go into production in the first quarter of 2025.

Scott is said to also be eyeing a spring 2025 start date, so it is unclear which of these productions, if any, push back in order for Elordi to commit to “Dog Stars.”

By working with Scott, Elordi continues his streak with A-list directors. The Australian actor, whose breakout role was in the Netflix movie “The Kissing Booth,” recently starred as Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and plays the monster in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming “Frankenstein.”