Cinema lovers have several upcoming action movies to look forward to, and they sound epic. Among them is a new film starring Brad Pitt, which is called Heart of the Beast. Pitt is reuniting with director David Ayer -- known for movies like A Working Man and Suicide Squad -- for the survival movie, which I already think is going to emotionally devastate me. Much of the film is set against the backdrop of the great outdoors, and it seems the experience wasn't always easy for Pitt or Ayer.
Heart of the Beast sees army vet named James (Pitt) and his beloved military dog, Odin, stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. The duo must trek across nearly 60 miles of dangerous terrain to find their way back to safety. Pitt's time on set likely wasn't quite as treacherous as his character's journey, but it was still a lot When Ayer spoke to Empire, he discussed how his leading man, who he also worked with on Fury, threw himself into the work:
He beat himself up for this thing. …. He was in the water all the time. He was cold all the time. Going into this, neither of us realized just how exposed we would be as filmmakers. There’s nowhere to hide. You just can’t cut away to someone else.
That sounds like a grueling experience, and that's not even all of it. Pitt, Ayer and the crew also filmed through a mix of extreme temperatures, water and a mountainous terrain. Of course, this isn’t the first intense role the actor has ever undertaken. Just think about his work in Fight Club, which returned to theaters earlier this year for one night. He's also taken roles that are mentally demanding, with 12 Monkeys (one of Pitt's signature performances) serving as a prime example of that.
Still, given what we know about Ayer’s past films, he expects a lot from his actors, so Pitt's experience on set probably shouldn't be too surprising. I’m expecting intense action and some dark, yet, relevant themes. Amid the suspense, though, is the relationship between James and Odin (who doesn't seem like a mean movie pet). Ayer also spoke about the importance of that bond and why it's so personal to him:
I lost my father when I was very young and the story tapped into a very personal sense of mourning. This journey of love between these two creatures, these two beings, felt like my own grieving journey. There was something universal and very human about it, which is ironic because it’s a person and an animal. That almost gives you permission to be even more emotional.
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Prospective viewers may want to have their tissues handy when this 2026 movie release hits theaters on September 25. And I can't wait to check it out! David Ayer's reputation definitely precedes him, and I'm hoping his creative sensibilities mesh with Pitt's commitment to giving grounded performances.
It's fair to say that Brad Pitt has still got it and continues to pick up interesting roles. On that note, later this year, he'll be seen in the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. The David Fincher-helmed film will see Pitt reprise his role as Booth, and I hope he still gets some excellent action scenes as he did in OUATIH.
However, it feels like Heart of the Beast will be a bit less grandiose than that aforementioned sequel. Here's hoping that David Ayer's finished film is a thoughtful piece that offers up thrills as well as genuinely emotional moments. And, that aside, I'm hoping that Brad Pitt himself will do some press and share more insight into what it was like shooting in the wilderness.
