Heart of the Beast
2026 film by David Ayer
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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.
- David Ayer
- Olivia Hamilton
- Brad Pitt
- Marty Bowen
- Richard Raymond
- Nick Satriano
- Brad Pitt
- J. K. Simmons
| Heart of the Beast | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | David Ayer |
| Written by | Cameron Alexander |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Mauro Fiore |
| Edited by | Dody Dorn |
| Music by | Jared Michael Fry |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $82 million[3] |
Heart of the Beast premiered at the FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee on September 16, 2026, and is scheduled to be released nationwide in the United States on September 25, 2026. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
Premise
The film follows retired Army Special Forces veteran James Belmont (Pitt) and his traumatized military combat dog Odin, who are stranded deep in the freezing Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. With no rescue coming, they must endure a grueling 58-mile trek to safety, battling unforgiving terrain, deadly wildlife, and their own shared combat trauma. The survival thriller highlights the deep, unbreakable bond of loyalty between a man and his canine companion under extreme stakes.[4][5]
Cast
- Brad Pitt as James Belmont
- Uber as Odin the Dog
- J. K. Simmons
- Anna Lambe
Production
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]
Release
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.[14][15][16] Advanced screening occurred on September 19, 2026 in New Zealand before its release on September 24, 2026.[17] It is scheduled to be released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on September 25, 2026.[18] Its first trailer was shown at CinemaCon in April 2026.[19]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 61 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[21]
