It takes a very particular kind of film to make a German Shepherd the most compelling character on screen — but from the looks of things, Heart of the Beast might just pull it off.
Paramount Pictures has dropped the first trailer for the survival thriller, and it's already generating serious buzz. Brad Pitt plays James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces operative whose small plane crashes in the remote Alaskan wilderness, leaving him stranded with only a battle-scarred combat dog named Odin for company. Together, the pair must fight off bears, wolves and the punishing elements in a desperate bid to get home alive.
"I'm going to get you home. We just have to do this the hard way," Pitt's character promises Odin in the trailer — before delivering the film's punchy unofficial motto: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
Odin's Backstory Will Break Your Heart
The trailer wastes no time establishing Odin as far more than a sidekick. In one early exchange, a stranger notices the dog's unusual appearance and asks James about it. "Did I notice some silver in your dog's mouth?" the man enquires. Pitt explains that Odin was a combat scouting dog who was struck in the mouth with a brick by a target. When asked whether the same person was responsible for the dog's injured leg, James confirms it was. "I hope you gave that fella a piece of your mind," the stranger says. James' response is delivered without a flicker of hesitation: "I shot him in the head."
It's a moment that sets the emotional tone perfectly — this is a film about loyalty, survival and the unbreakable bond between a man and his dog. Odin is played by a real rescue dog named Uber, who was discovered during filming in New Zealand.
Pitt and Ayer Back Together After Fury
The film marks the first collaboration between Pitt and director David Ayer since their acclaimed 2014 Second World War epic Fury, and by all accounts the reunion has been a long time coming. The screenplay, written by Cameron Alexander, first appeared on Hollywood's prestigious Black List of best unproduced scripts back in 2017. It finally gained real momentum in 2024 when Ayer signed on to direct and La La Land filmmaker Damien Chazelle joined as a producer. Pitt then boarded in 2025, bringing his production company Plan B with him, and cameras were rolling in New Zealand by March.
Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe round out the cast, while Pitt produces alongside Olivia Hamilton and Marty Bowen.
A Big Year for Pitt Keeps Getting Bigger
This is shaping up to be quite the run for the 61-year-old star. Heart of the Beast follows his Oscar-nominated turn in F1, and there's more on the horizon — a David Fincher-directed sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, written by Quentin Tarantino and focused on Pitt's beloved character Cliff Booth, is due to debut in Imax cinemas on Thanksgiving before landing on Netflix for Christmas. Details remain tightly under wraps, as you'd expect from Fincher.
Heart of the Beast hits UK cinemas on 25 September. If the trailer is anything to go by, bring tissues — and possibly a dog.
