Brad Pitt Battles for Survival in David Ayer's Heart of the Beast

First-look images show Brad Pitt in Heart of the Beast, a survival thriller from director David Ayer. The film follows a combat soldier and his dog as they try to fight their way back to civilization after an accident, a turn that has been described as Pitt's version of Leonardo DiCaprio's role in The Revenant.

Ayer praised Pitt's work, saying, "He's a beast. He was vulnerable and exposed himself in a way that I haven't seen before," and calling the performance "raw and believable and profound." The director added that the project felt like "a study in grief, in healing, and of the human heart.

So I had to do it." The story is set in Alaska but was filmed in New Zealand, a demanding shoot among glaciers and difficult terrain. Ayer said it took extensive liaising with the New Zealand government and conservationists and noted, "No one's ever filmed there before." The production used dogs from New Zealand trained for first responders, and Ayer joked that the dogs were more comfortable than the crew in a helicopter.

New Zealand, Alaska

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