Premise: After a plane crash, Special Forces veteran James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, become stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. Their fight for survival tests both their physical endurance and the bond they formed through military service.

Director: David Ayer
Screenwriter: Cameron Alexander
Producers: Olivia Hamilton, Marty Bowen, David Ayer, Brad Pitt
Production Companies: Wild Chickens Productions, Crave Films, Plan B Entertainment, Temple Hill Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 for violence, peril, bloody/injury images, and some language
Box Office: Heart of the Beast opened theatrically on September 25, 2026. By early October, it had grossed roughly $99 million worldwide, with its second domestic weekend bringing in about $11 million.

58 Miles to Safety

Heart of the Beast follows retired Special Forces veteran James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, after a plane crash leaves them stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness.

David Ayer keeps the story focused on their bond, using dangerous terrain, wildlife, and Belmont’s lingering trauma to drive the survival journey. Brad Pitt gives the film a restrained emotional center, while Odin becomes just as important to the story, bringing warmth and urgency to an otherwise rugged adventure.

Filmed in New Zealand

Although Heart of the Beast takes place in Alaska, principal photography was completed in New Zealand between March and May 2025. The production used Queenstown and surrounding South Island locations, with alpine landscapes, forests, rivers, and lakes providing the film’s remote wilderness environments.

Several recognizable areas around Glenorchy, Lake Wakatipu, and The Remarkables appear on screen, with New Zealand crews supporting the large outdoor shoot. Director David Ayer leaned heavily on practical locations to give Belmont and Odin’s journey a physical sense of scale and isolation.

The demanding production also placed significant attention on the canine performance. Odin was portrayed primarily by German Shepherd Uber, supported by additional dogs for certain sequences. With much of the film centered on Pitt and his canine co-star, their on-screen chemistry became one of the project’s defining elements.

58 Miles to Safety

Filmed in New Zealand

Heart of the Beast Featured Characters