Paramount Pictures released the second official trailer for Heart of the Beast on August 13, 2026, giving audiences a deeper look at the survival thriller starring Brad Pitt. The film is set to open in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The new trailer, which runs just under two minutes, begins by showing the bond between Special Forces officer James Belmont (Pitt) and his combat dog Odin, described in the footage as a ‘highly trained combat K-9.’ The trailer is set to a cover of the song ‘Stand By Me’ and shows the pair surviving a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.
The film had its first footage unveiled at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026. Deadline reported that the footage showed Pitt’s soldier ‘fending off bears, wolves and more on one last mission for survival alongside his loyal dog companion.’
A Story of Survival in the Alaskan Wild
Heart of the Beast follows James Belmont, a retired Special Forces officer who takes his combat dog Odin on a trip to the Alaskan wilderness. After a harrowing plane crash, the two find themselves stranded deep in the wild, forced to battle brutal weather, unforgiving terrain and wild predators.
According to the official synopsis from Paramount, the film is ‘an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.’
The second trailer shows Belmont and Odin fighting a wild wolf in a cave, crossing a treacherous tree bridge over a gorge and surviving a raging river. At one point, Belmont tells Odin, ‘I’ll get you home.’
The film was directed by David Ayer, who previously worked with Pitt on the 2014 World War II drama Fury. Ayer also directed End of Watch, Suicide Squad and The Beekeeper. The screenplay was written by Cameron Alexander.
Heart of the Beast stars Pitt, J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. The dog Odin is played by a Belgian Malinois named Uber, a former search-and-rescue dog. ‘Odin is the star of the film,’ Pitt said in a promotional featurette.
Critical Reception
Reviews for Heart of the Beast have been largely positive. As of late September 2026, the film holds a 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes with 31 reviews, according to ComingSoon. ScreenRant reported that the film set a record as Pitt’s highest-rated starring movie with a 96% score on the platform. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 69 based on 17 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman praised Pitt’s performance and the dog playing Odin. He wrote, ‘This is a terrific performance — and Brad Pitt is extremely good too.’
The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck described the film as ‘a love story’ between a man and his dog, calling it ‘one of the most moving to come along in a long time.’
Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press had a more mixed response. She described the film as an effectively thrilling adventure and praised Pitt’s emotional performance, but noted that the story follows familiar survival-film beats. She wrote that the film works best when it focuses on the bond between James and Odin.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praised Pitt’s performance and the connection between the man and dog but felt the film leaned heavily into sentimentality. He described the film as ‘a bit cheesy.’
Box Office Performance
Heart of the Beast opened in North American theaters on September 25, 2026, against a reported budget of $82 million. The film earned $20 million domestically in its opening weekend, landing at No. 3 at the North American box office.
Internationally, the film collected $30.1 million from 63 markets, bringing its worldwide opening weekend total to $50.1 million, according to Variety. The opening Friday brought in $7.4 million domestically. In its second weekend, the film showed strong legs as word of mouth kicked in.
The film was released alongside DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island and Robert Pattinson’s Primetime. It beat Primetime for the No. 3 spot in North America.
Production Details
Heart of the Beast was produced by Olivia Hamilton, Marty Bowen, David Ayer and Brad Pitt. Executive producers include Damien Chazelle, Scott Lumpkin, Cameron Alexander, Chris Long, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, Andrew Lary, Sophie Cassidy and Zack Conroy.
The film was shot in New Zealand, which doubled for the Alaskan wilderness. It has a runtime of 101 minutes and is rated PG-13.
The project marks the first reunion between Pitt and Ayer since Fury, which grossed $211.8 million at the box office and earned nominations at the SAG Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards and People’s Choice Awards.
Pitt, who recently starred in the Formula One drama F1, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he got ‘choked up’ when he first read Cameron Alexander’s script. ‘I put Cameron’s script down at the end, and I started to get a little choked up,’ Pitt said. ‘I disappeared out the back [of the house] so no one could see me on the porch there. And I just had a little silent weep.’
Ayer told EW that the film was the most difficult project of his career. ‘This is by a mile, the most difficult project I’ve done,’ Ayer said. ‘There’s something about the simplicity of it that demanded attention and craft.’
Heart of the Beast is currently playing in theaters nationwide.