Ridley Scott recently revealed in an interview with GQ that his highly anticipated biographical film about the Bee Gees, which was set to be produced by Paramount Pictures, has been halted due to issues with the company’s agreements. He stated, “The studio changed the rules of the game. I told them: ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted. ‘Well, I’ll warn you, I’m going to leave because I’m moving on to the next film.’ They didn’t believe me, and I did. They pushed me too far. And ‘No. The next!’ I liked my deal. So ‘I’ll turn the page. I’m expensive, but I’m very good,'” he explained. According to a report by Variety in February 2024, the renowned director had joined the project, which was initially scheduled to begin filming in early 2025, but now the production will be delayed following his departure from the project.
Despite this setback, Scott expressed optimism that the film will eventually reach theaters, stating that he hopes to be able to reach an agreement with Paramount. In fact, the production house, Free, confirmed that it will continue with its next two projects, which Scott will direct in the fall. Meanwhile, he has decided to utilize his available time to work on a film that will replace this project, a post-apocalyptic thriller from 20th Century Studios titled The Dog Stars, which is set to begin filming in April of this year.
Additionally, the filmmaker elaborated on what particularly attracted him to the biopic, focusing on the way the band operated: “I liked the working-class side of the Gees. It’s about the competition between brothers. Then they lose Andy, Andy died of an overdose at 30. More luck, right? It’s a fantastic story,” he noted. Furthermore, the group evokes both bitter memories from the early days of their career. At that time, the group’s representative, Robert Stigwood, invited Scott to direct in an attempt to save the Gibb brothers’ careers, as they were “reluctant to work together.” The artist suggested “something medieval,” and although he had a rather pleasant meeting with the musicians, the necessary funding to carry out the project never materialized.
If the project resumes, it will reunite Scott with Paramount, with whom he recently collaborated on Gladiator II, a sequel that has grossed $455 million worldwide. His next project was originally set to star Paul Mescal, who will present Jacob Elordi in the lead role. Priscilla from Euphoria will portray a pilot named Hig who befriends an armed man while trying to survive a group of raiders known as the “Reapers”. The official synopsis of the novel states, “The wife is gone, friends are dead, he lives in a small hangar at an abandoned airport with a volatile misanthrope dog named Jasper, Bangley. But when a random transmission comes through the radio of a 1956 Cessna, a voice ignites a deep hope that there is something better beyond the carefully controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies to a point of no return, following a broken static trail, only to find something that is worse than he could have ever expected.”
