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Heart of the Beast

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Heart of the Beast
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Ayer
Written byCameron Alexander
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMauro Fiore
Edited byDody Dorn
Music byJared Michael Fry
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • September 16, 2026 (2026-09-16) (Franklin)
  • September 25, 2026 (2026-09-25) (United States)
Running time
101 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$82 million[3]
Box office$7.8 million[4][5]

Heart of the Beast is a 2026 American survival thriller film directed by David Ayer and written by Cameron Alexander. The film stars Brad Pitt as a retired Special Forces veteran navigating a grueling 58-mile trek to safety with his traumatized combat German Shepherd after their seaplane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness.

Heart of the Beast premiered at the FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee on September 16, 2026, and released nationwide in the United States on September 25, 2026. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

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Cast

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Production

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In March 2024, David Ayer signed on as director with a script by Cameron Alexander that was featured on the 2017 Black List of the year's 'most liked' unproduced screenplays;[6] Alexander served as an executive producer. Damien Chazelle and Olivia Hamilton produced the film through their label Wild Chickens Productions, with Paramount Pictures distributing as part of a first look deal between the companies, and Ayer and Chris Long serve as producers through Cedar Park Entertainment.[7] In January 2025, Brad Pitt was announced to be starring in the project, also producing under his Plan B Entertainment banner. Temple Hill Entertainment also joined the project, with Ayer now producing under Crave Films.[8] In February, J. K. Simmons joined the cast, with Anna Lambe joining a month later.[9][10]

Principal photography began on March 3, 2025, in Queenstown, New Zealand,[11] and wrapped on May 15.[12]

Jared Michael Fry was hired to compose the score for the film, marking his third collaboration with Ayer following The Beekeeper (2024) and A Working Man (2025).[13]

The watch Pitt wears in the movie is a Rolex Submariner, but the interesting fact is that the strap was spotted by the Director David Ayer on the wrist of a friend. As a result, the creator of the strap, Matt Jackson of UK company NDC Straps was approached to supply four pieces for the production. The strap was an old model and no longer made, so Jackson had to find four examples in old stock and send them to the producers.[14]

Release

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Heart of the Beast premiered at the FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee on September 16, 2026. It premiered in a non-competition slot of the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 22, 2026.[15][16][17] Advanced screening occurred on September 19, 2026 in New Zealand before its release on September 24, 2026.[18] It released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on September 25, 2026.[19] Its first trailer was shown at CinemaCon in April 2026.[20]

Reception

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Box office

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In the United States and Canada, Heart of the Beast will be released alongside Primetime, Forgotten Island, and the re-release of Avengers: Endgame, and is projected to gross $17–20 million in its opening weekend.[3]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 141 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "A rigorously entertaining adventure story told through a spartan script and memorable set pieces, Heart of the Beast pays rousing tribute to man's best friend."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[22] The film debuted in the United States and Canada with a Cinemascore of A-[23].

References

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  1. ↑ Jacob, Arushi (June 11, 2026). "'Heart of the Beast' Trailer: Brad Pitt and a German Shepherd Struggle to Survive the Alaskan Wilderness". Variety. Archived from the original on June 13, 2026. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Heart of the Beast (12A)". BBFC. August 24, 2026. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Rubin, Rebecca (September 23, 2026). "'Avengers: Endgame Encore' Could Top Box Office, Brad Pitt's 'Heart of the Beast' and Robert Pattinson's 'Primetime' Vie for No. 3". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Heart of the Beast (2026) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Heart of the Beast (2026) - Performance". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 11, 2017). "The Black List 2017 Screenplays: Post-WWII Tale 'Ruin' Is No. 1 – Full Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  7. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 22, 2024). "David Ayer To Direct 'Heart Of The Beast' For Paramount, Damien Chazelle Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Grobar, Matt (January 24, 2025). "Brad Pitt To Produce & Star In 'Heart Of The Beast,' David Ayer's Action Adventure Pic For Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 24, 2025). "J.K. Simmons Reteams With Brad Pitt & David Ayer For Paramount's 'Heart Of The Beast'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  10. ↑ Gajewski, Ryan (March 28, 2025). "'True Detective' Actress Anna Lambe Joins Brad Pitt in 'Heart of the Beast' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ Bayer, Kurt (March 6, 2025). "Brad Pitt filming near Queenstown: Hollywood A-lister's latest blockbuster under way". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on August 7, 2026. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "'Heart of The Beast' Starts Filming in Queenstown in March". Simply Bad. March 6, 2025. Archived from the original on January 25, 2026. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  13. ↑ Reporter, Film Music (June 11, 2026). "Jared Michael Fry Scoring David Ayer's 'Heart of the Beast'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  14. ↑ "NDCstraps | Genuine Marine Nationale watch Straps – Trusted Worldwide". NDC Straps. July 8, 2026. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ Invision, George Walker IV- (September 16, 2026). "World Premiere of "Heart of the Beast"". Times Argus. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  16. ↑ Hopewell, John (August 24, 2026). "Brad Pitt's 'Heart of the Beast' Added to San Sebastián Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on August 24, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Heart of the Beast". San Sebastian Film Festival. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Heart Of The Beast". Event Cinemas. September 14, 2026. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  19. ↑ Grobar, Matt (May 13, 2026). "Paramount Dates David Ayer's Brad Pitt Actioner 'Heart Of The Beast' For Fall". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  20. ↑ Gajewski, Ryan (April 16, 2026). "Brad Pitt's Survival Movie 'Heart of the Beast' Launches Tense First Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 17, 2026. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Heart of the Beast". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Heart of the Beast". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on September 10, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Home - Cinemascore". Cinemascore. Archived from the original on September 26, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
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