Ridley Scott Says Josh Brolin Has “Softened” Since American Gangster

Nearly two decades after working together on American Gangster, Ridley Scott and Josh Brolin are back together for a very different kind of film.

Brolin, 58, stars in Scott’s new post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars, playing Bangley, a former Marine trying to survive after a devastating pandemic. He lives in isolation with Hig, a pilot played by Jacob Elordi.

Scott says Brolin has changed since they first worked together in 2007 — and not necessarily in a bad way.

“He’d actually softened a bit. I mean, in a good way,” Scott told PEOPLE.

That softer side does not mean Brolin has lost his toughness. In The Dog Stars, Bangley is a hardened survivalist who is always prepared for danger and willing to make difficult decisions.

Scott says Brolin and Elordi quickly developed a strong dynamic on screen. Their characters depend on each other, but they have very different ideas about how to survive.

“Bangley and Hig, to me, were The Odd Couple,” Scott said. “They constantly bicker and argue.”

That tension also gives the movie moments of humor, something Scott says he always tries to bring into serious stories when possible.

While Hig remains hopeful about finding a better future, Bangley tends to expect the worst. Their arguments create an unusual balance between the film’s dark survival story and its lighter moments.

For Brolin, the role is another addition to an acting career that has covered almost every genre. He first became widely known as Brand Walsh in The Goonies and later appeared in films such as No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Sicario and Dune. He also played Thanos in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame and Deadpool 2, and earned an Oscar nomination for Milk.

His history with Scott goes back to American Gangster, where Brolin played corrupt NYPD detective Nick Trupo alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

Scott admits that he knew Brolin’s work at the time but did not know the actor personally.

Now, Scott sees more than just Brolin’s tough-guy image.

“He’s a tough guy,” Scott said. “But he’s also very smart and actually a very good literary person. He’s a good writer.”

Interestingly, Brolin initially struggled with Scott’s unusual directing style on The Dog Stars. After just one day of filming, he reportedly called his agent and said he wanted to leave the project.

Scott was telling stories and shooting without much traditional rehearsal, which made Brolin uncomfortable.

But things changed after Scott showed him footage from a scene he had filmed with Elordi. Brolin began to understand the director’s approach and ultimately stayed.

He later described the experience as “stratospherically creative and stratospherically dangerous,” calling the movie one of the most creative and satisfying projects of his career.

The Dog Stars is currently playing in theaters.