Ridley Scott's Slate is Kind of Bonkers

Based on Ridley Scott's recent interview with Dazed Digital, the 87-year-old filmmaker has outlined an ambitious slate of projects.

He's already had a magnificent career as the director of Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, and more, but he's not slowing down anytime soon. Here's what we can deduce about his upcoming films.

The Dog Stars

Scott has already wrapped his next film, the post-apocalyptic sci-fi adaptation The Dog Stars.

Shot in April and May 2025, Scott completed principal photography in an impressive 34 days with cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt. Scott called it "maybe" his best work.

"Every movie is a discovery of who you are, and making choices about actors," he told the outlet. "Before I speak to anybody, I look at everything they've done. I cast Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, and Josh Brolin. Frequently, the biggest thing I'm good at is casting. If they're available, normally I get them."

The film is set for release on March 27, 2026, per Deadline.

Here's our advice for casting your next project.

Three Scripts "Ready to Go"

Scott revealed he has three completed screenplays prepared for immediate production.

First up is his long-gestating Bee Gees biopic, which Scott hopes will be his next directorial effort.

This project has been in development for some time. It faced significant delays due to a dispute with Paramount Pictures. In January 2025, Scott said in a GQ interview that the studio "changed the goalposts" on his deal, leading to a temporary standoff.

"I said, 'You can't do that.' They insisted. I said, 'Well, I'm going to warn you, I will walk, because I will go on to the next movie.' They didn't believe me, and I did,"

They appear to have resolved whatever production issues previously delayed it.

Scott plans to shoot the western Freewalkers next year. This one was also put on hold due to scheduling issues (via ScreenRant).

The third ready script is a World War I epic based on John Harris' novel Covenant with Death. This marks the first time Scott has mentioned this project publicly, suggesting it may be a more recent addition to his development slate.

Scott said, "It's a marvellous narrative that I've never seen before in a war film. It's funny and class-conscious, because you've got miners mixing with middle-class men. You discover: one guy dies, just like anybody else."

Other Projects in Early Development

Scott described Gladiator III as being at a "conference room" stage.

Intriguingly, Scott also expressed interest in making a pirate movie with Jacob Elordi.

Beyond these confirmed films, Scott has several other projects in various stages of development, including Battle of Britain (a World War II film that has been set up since 2017), spy movie Queen & Country, and Bomb.

Scott's slate is a little wild, but we can see it's helped him sustain a long career in Hollywood. Rather than being pigeonholed into one genre, he maintains projects across multiple categories (historical epics, sci-fi, biopics, war films, thrillers).

Scott's flexibility and ability to keep multiple scripts ready to go mean he can pivot quickly when one project falls apart, as evidenced by his swift move from the stalled Bee Gees biopic to The Dog Stars. He works efficiently and keeps going, not letting delays or disagreements stop him.

While we don't have to be this dramatic about it, keeping several plates spinning on your own projects will prevent you from hyperfixating on that problem script or the project that hasn't found funding yet. Keep going and let Scott inspire you.