NEW — Aug. 24, 2026: Ridley Scott has surveyed nearly five decades of filmmaking and chosen a new job title: influencer.
The 88-year-old director told The Times of London that his habit of trying to stay ahead of the game means he considers himself an influencer rather than simply a filmmaker. Before anyone imagines an unboxing channel from the director of Alien, he was talking about shaping cinema, not promoting skin-care codes.
His unfinished list is still surprisingly long
Scott said he has never made a traditional Western and wants to direct one. He also described plans for a Treasure Island adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, along with ambitions to make a musical and a film centered on African elephants.
His next release is The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin. Scott praised Elordi and said his attraction to the project came partly from frustration with Hollywood’s recurring mix of murdered-woman mysteries, brilliant FBI agents and superheroes.
An honorary Oscar is coming in November
Scott will receive an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards alongside Glenn Close and pioneering Disney animator Floyd Norman. He has previously earned three directing nominations but has not won a competitive directing Oscar.
Calling himself an influencer is vintage Scott: confident, provocative and just imprecise enough to guarantee a headline. But the underlying claim is easier to defend. Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise and Gladiator each left fingerprints on movies that followed.
The man may have updated his title, but his content strategy remains familiar: enormous screens, dangerous worlds and no apparent interest in retiring quietly.
Sources: Variety, Aug. 24, 2026; The Express Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026, both reporting on Scott’s Times of London interview.
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