Brad Pitt’s next big-screen survival story gives him one human role and one scene partner built to pull attention away from almost everything else: a wounded combat dog named Odin.
Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for Heart of the Beast on June 11. People reported that Pitt stars as James Belmont, a retired Special Forces officer stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash with his loyal combat dog.
The movie is directed by David Ayer, reuniting Pitt with the filmmaker more than a decade after Fury. J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also star, and Paramount has set the film for a Sept. 25 theatrical release.
The trailer sells the movie as a stripped-down survival thriller: one man, one dog, freezing terrain, wolves, wreckage, and a bond strong enough to carry the story even when there are no other people around.
The Trailer Drops Pitt and Odin Into the Alaskan Wilderness
The trailer follows James and Odin after their aircraft crashes in the remote Alaskan wilderness. The official setup has the pair trying to survive the elements and make their way back to safety after being cut off from help.
Entertainment Weekly reported that the trailer also shows James and Odin facing a pack of wolves. That keeps the movie from playing only as a quiet man-and-dog drama; the footage gives Pitt physical danger, wilderness pressure, and a clear emotional stake in keeping Odin alive.
Odin Is Treated Like a Co-Star, Not a Prop
Odin is not just a cute animal companion dropped into the story for sentiment. EW reported that the dog is a retired combat dog who served with James and had already survived serious injuries overseas, including the loss of a leg and teeth.
That backstory gives the trailer a stronger emotional line. James and Odin are not strangers thrown together after a crash; they are former partners with their own shared history of injury, survival, and trust.
The dog playing Odin is named Uber. EW reported that Uber came from New Zealand, where the movie was filmed, and that his three sons were used as stand-ins during production.
David Ayer Reunites With Pitt After Fury
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Heart of the Beast brings Pitt back together with Ayer after their 2014 World War II film Fury. Ayer also wrote Training Day and directed End of Watch, so the new film fits his interest in damaged men under extreme pressure.
In GQ’s first look at the film, Ayer described Heart of the Beast as a “love story” and praised Pitt’s performance as unusually raw and exposed. The director also said the production filmed in New Zealand, with remote glacier locations that sometimes required helicopter access.
The wilderness setting still stands in for Alaska, but the New Zealand shoot gave the film the mountains, snow, isolation, and scale needed for a story about a man and a dog trying to survive after a crash.
The Film Gives Pitt a Smaller Follow-Up to F1
Heart of the Beast will be Pitt’s next major theatrical release after F1, his racing drama. People also noted that Pitt has other high-profile projects ahead, including a planned return as Cliff Booth in a Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood spinoff.
This film looks much more contained than a racing spectacle or a franchise ensemble. The trailer keeps the focus on Pitt, Odin, the crash, and the question of whether the two can get out of the wilderness together.
Ayer told GQ that viewers do not need to worry about Odin’s fate, saying the dog survives. That small reassurance may matter for audiences who can handle wolves, wreckage, and snow but still want to know whether the animal makes it home.