Ridley Scott, at 88, Calls Himself an "Influencer" — Not a Filmmaker
Ridley Scott has never been shy about a strong statement. At 88, the director behind Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator told The Times of London that he no longer thinks of himself as a filmmaker. "I'm an influencer," he said, using a word more commonly associated with social media than seven-decade cinema careers. The interview, published under the headline "Ridley Scott at 88: I'm not a film-maker, I'm an influencer," appeared on 22 August 2026 in The Times and was reported the following day by Variety.
Scott's next picture is The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin. He spoke warmly of Elordi, calling him "a big star" and saying the two "got on great" on set, according to Variety. The film adapts Peter Heller's post-apocalyptic novel, placing Scott back in the speculative territory he has returned to throughout his career.
The Times conversation ranged well beyond one project. Scott said he has still never made a Western — a gap in a filmography that runs from Roman epics to science fiction. He has cast Hugh Jackman for his planned Treasure Island adaptation, wants to make a musical, and has a film in mind about the African elephant, Variety reported.
He also had sharp words for the kinds of stories dominating current Hollywood output. "Everything now is about a murdered girl in the woods, or an FBI agent who is better than anyone else — or a superhero," he told The Times. "There have to be other stories to tell."
November will bring another accolade. Scott is set to receive an honorary Oscar at the Academy's Governors Awards, alongside Glenn Close and Floyd Norman, Disney's first Black animator, Variety reported. The Governors Awards are the Academy's annual ceremony for lifetime achievement and service honours, held separately from the televised Oscar broadcast.
For a director who has built his name on period spectacle, the idea of a musical and a Western still waiting in the wings is a striking reminder of how much ground he has left to cover. Eighty-eight is, by his own accounting, not a stopping point.
