Brad Pitt’s survival thriller ‘Heart of the Beast’ lands release date amid tough box office clash
Brad Pitt’s next feature, 'Heart of the Beast,' is just months away from hitting the big screen. On Tuesday, Paramount Pictures confirmed that the survival drama will be released in theaters on September 25. The action-adventure drama is directed by David Ayer, best known for 'Suicide Squad' (2016) and last year's 'A Working Man.' Its screenplay is by Cameron Alexander, who marks his feature-film debut with the upcoming project. His script was listed on the 2017 Black List as the 'most liked' unproduced screenplays of that year. The film will face fierce competition at the box office, opening against DreamWorks' 'Forgotten Island' and the re-release of 'Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.'
The film's premise states, "A former Navy SEAL and his retired combat dog attempt to return to civilization after a catastrophic accident happens deep in the Alaskan wilderness." Pitt, who also has a producer credit, will be seen alongside Oscar winner J. K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. The title marks the second collaboration between Ayers and Pitt, who previously worked together in 2014's World War II drama 'Fury,' in which the A-lister played a war veteran. A short trailer for 'Heart of the Beast' was showcased at CinemaCon, held in Las Vegas in April. In the clip, Pitt's unnamed character was heard telling his dog companion, "I’m gonna get you home. We’re just going to have to do this the hard way." Other scenes depicted Pitt and his dog crossing a river and the duo coming face to face with wild animals.
Production took place between March 3 and May 15 last year in Queenstown, New Zealand. During that time, Ayer praised the movie while speaking to Collider in March. "All I can say is it's just going to be a classic old-school adventure movie. This is what Hollywood excelled at for decades, and I want to bring that cinematic tradition back and just adventure storytelling," he said at the time. 'Heart of the Beast' is produced by Marty Bowen under Temple Hill, Olivia Hamilton under Wild Chickens Productions, Pitt under Plan B Entertainment, and Ayer under Crave Films.
Furthermore, the 'La La Land' director Damien Chazelle executive produces the title under Wild Chickens Productions, alongside Andrew Lary, Cameron Alexander, Chris Long, Sophie Cassidy, Pete Chiappetta, Zack Conroy, and Anthony Tittanegro. Pitt has been away from the big screen for more than a year. He was last seen as the Formula One driver Sonny Hayes in Joseph Kosinski’s 2025 sports drama, 'F1.' Released in June 2025, the film became a summer blockbuster and the highest-grossing film of Pitt's career to date. The film starring Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and others, earned four Academy Award nominations, winning for 'Best Sound.'
