Ridley Scott Describes Himself As An 'Influencer', Not A 'Filmmaker'

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ridley Scott has described himself as an ‘influencer’ rather than just a ‘filmmaker’, while promoting his new film, ‘The Dog Stars’.

Speaking to The Times of London, Scott was asked to identify a through line in his work. He remarked: “Every time, you are vulnerable… I never want to repeat myself and all my films have been on the money. I’ve been ahead of the game frequently and, if you’re ahead of the game, you’re an influencer. So I’m not a filmmaker, I’m an influencer.”

He also revealed his honest opinion about the type of films that are currently getting made. “Everything now is about a murdered girl in the woods, or an FBI agent who is better than anyone else – or a superhero. F–k me! There have to be other stories to tell.”

So, while we won’t be seeing any FBI thrillers or superhero movies from Scott anytime soon, he did open up about what genre he wants to explore next. He said: “I’ve never done a Western. I have cast Hugh Jackman for my ‘Treasure Island’ adaptation. I want to do a musical and, also, have a marvelous film about the African elephant.”

‘The Dog Stars’ hits cinemas this Friday, 28th August. It stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Allison Janney. Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce also star. It’s based on the 2012 novel written by Peter Heller, and will be Scott’s 30th film.

For his exceptional contributions to film, Scott will receive an honorary Oscar at November’s Governors Awards. Glenn Close and Floyd Norman are fellow recipients of this award for 2027.