Ridley Scott reportedly replaced Paul Mescal in ‘The Dog Stars’

Director Ridley Scott reportedly blamed actor Paul Mescal for the performance of ‘Gladiator II,’ claiming Mescal was not ‘masculine enough’ for the role. This friction allegedly led to Mescal being replaced by Jacob Elordi in Scott’s upcoming film, ‘The Dog Stars.’

While Mescal’s representatives previously cited scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes’ Beatles project as the reason for his departure from ‘The Dog Stars,’ reports from Matt Belloni of Puck News suggest the director’s dissatisfaction was the primary driver.

‘Gladiator II’ earned approximately $462 million worldwide, though its high production costs—estimated between $250 million and $300 million—suggest the film may have been a financial loss. In contrast, ‘The Dog Stars’ has been described as a significant box office failure, opening to roughly $19 million worldwide on an $89 million budget.