The real reason behind Paul Mescal‘s departure from The Dog Stars continues to fuel speculation. Several reports have offered different explanations for why the actor was replaced by Jacob Elordi.

In a recent Puck report, entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni cited multiple sources who claimed to know the reason behind Mescal’s exit from Ridley Scott‘s The Dog Stars.

Elordi replaced the Normal People actor in early 2025 to play the lead role. At the time, Mescal’s team cited “scheduling conflicts” related to his commitments to the upcoming Beatles films. However, Belloni reports that the explanation has been disputed.

A source close to the movie reportedly told Belloni that Ridley Scott blamed Mescal for Gladiator II’s disappointing performance. The Alien director allegedly said that Mescal wasn’t “masculine” enough.

The industry insider also heard from another source that the Beatles director Sam Mendes was reportedly annoyed with Ridley for revealing Mescal’s casting as Paul McCartney. So, Mendes allegedly pressured Mescal to drop The Dog Stars to prepare for The Beatles.

However, readers must note that these remarks have not been officially confirmed and remain hearsay.

(Photo Credit: 20th Century Studios)

The Dog Stars struggles at the box office with a disappointing debut

The Dog Stars had its theatrical debut on August 28, 2026, opening to lukewarm reviews and disappointing box-office numbers. The movie grossed a worldwide total of only $19 million against a budget of $70 million, making it a significant box-office underperformer.

Additionally, the movie holds a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer at the time of this article’s publishing, with mixed reviews from critics. However, the audience score on Popcornmeter is a bit more promising, with a 71% score and a 3.8/5 average rating.

Directed by Ridley Scott, The Dog Stars is a sci-fi action thriller based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. The movie follows Hig, a young pilot who ventures into a dangerous post-apocalyptic landscape to investigate the source of a mysterious radio signal.

The movie stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and more.