Heart of the Beast, the Brad Pitt survival thriller from director David Ayer, is available to rent or buy digitally since November 10, 2026. It opened in theaters on September 25 and has earned about $189 million worldwide on an $82 million budget. It is rated PG-13, runs 101 minutes, holds 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an A- CinemaScore. The Blu-ray and DVD arrive on January 26, 2027. This page has where to watch, the cast with photos, the box office, the reviews and the ending explained behind a spoiler button, so you can read the rest without spoilers.
Last updated on November 15, 2026.
RelatedPosts
Heart of the Beast Quick Answers
- Where to watch: digital rent or buy since November 10. See where to watch.
- Blu-ray and DVD: January 26, 2027.
- Box office: about $189 million worldwide, $68 million in the US and Canada. See the box office.
- Reviews: 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94% audience score, A- CinemaScore. See the reviews.
- Does the dog die? The answer is behind a spoiler button in the ending section.
- Cast: Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. See the cast with photos.
- Runtime and rating: 101 minutes, PG-13.
Heart of the Beast at a Glance
| Detail | Heart of the Beast |
| Theatrical release | Friday, September 25, 2026 |
| Digital rent or buy | November 10, 2026 |
| Blu-ray and DVD | January 26, 2027 |
| Director | David Ayer |
| Writer | Cameron Alexander |
| Studio | Paramount Pictures |
| Runtime | 101 minutes |
| Rating | PG-13, for violence, peril, bloody and injury images and some language |
| Budget | $82 million |
What Is Heart of the Beast About?
After a plane crash, a Special Forces veteran and his combat dog, Odin, are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness and have to fight to survive. Brad Pitt plays the veteran, James Belmont, and the film follows the two of them across the wild country together. Both man and dog are traumatized by the past, and it is as much a story about their bond as it is a survival thriller.
Where to Watch Heart of the Beast
- Digital rent or buy: available since Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from Paramount Home Entertainment. Check your usual digital store.
- Blu-ray and DVD: Tuesday, January 26, 2027. The home release includes a making-of feature called One Last Mission, a feature on Pitt and the dogs called Uber & Brad: A Soulful Bond, and deleted scenes.
- Subscription streaming: the sources we checked list no Paramount+ date yet. We will update this page when one is announced.
The dates above are for the US. Check your local listings if you are watching in the UK, Canada or Australia, since digital availability can differ by country.
Heart of the Beast Cast and Characters
Here is the main cast of Heart of the Beast, plus the director.
Brad PittPlays James Belmont- J.K. SimmonsPlays Watkins
- Anna LambePlays Amber
- David AyerDirected the film
| Actor | Character |
| Brad Pitt | James Belmont |
| J.K. Simmons | Watkins |
| Anna Lambe | Amber |
| Uber and other dogs | Odin |
Odin is played by dogs rather than one animal, and Paramount’s home release gives Uber, the dog Pitt worked with, his own bonus feature. Photo credits are at the bottom of the page.
Heart of the Beast Box Office
- Worldwide: about $189.4 million, according to The Numbers and Box Office Mojo.
- US and Canada: about $67.9 million.
- International: about $121.5 million.
- Opening weekend: about $20.0 million from 3,435 theaters.
- Budget: $82 million.
| Weekend | Date | US and Canada gross | Total so far |
| 1 | September 25 to 27 | $20.04 million | $20.04 million |
| 2 | October 2 to 4 | $10.88 million | $38.29 million |
| 3 | October 9 to 11 | $7.44 million | $50.00 million |
| 4 | October 16 to 18 | $4.74 million | $58.23 million |
| 5 | October 23 to 25 | $2.44 million | $62.46 million |
| 6 | October 30 to November 1 | $1.66 million | $65.15 million |
| 7 | November 6 to 8 | $1.23 million | $67.18 million |
The film earned about 30% of its US and Canada total in its opening weekend, and weekly drops stayed between 26% and 48%, which is a healthy hold for a thriller. Box office figures are from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo and are rounded.
Is Heart of the Beast Good? Reviews and Verdict
Critics and audiences mostly liked it. Rotten Tomatoes has the film at 84% from 187 reviews and an audience score of 94%, and opening-night audiences gave it an A- on CinemaScore. The praise goes mainly to Pitt and his canine co-star. The complaints are about the wolf and bear scenes and a sentimental ending.
| Source | Score or grade |
| Rotten Tomatoes critics | 84% (187 reviews) |
| Rotten Tomatoes audience | 94% |
| CinemaScore | A- |
| Outlet | Verdict |
| The Skinny | Four stars, praising the chemistry between Pitt and the dog |
| Time Out | Three out of five, a solid survivalist drama |
| Free Press Journal | Three and a half stars, noting the script sometimes makes things easier for itself |
| Tom’s Guide | Critical, finding the computer-generated predators more distracting than menacing |
| Pajiba | Critical, calling it contrived emotional drama |
Our read of the reviews: it is a good pick if you want a moving survival story built around a man and his dog, and a weaker one if you want a tense, realistic thriller. For another film about soldiers, see our The Mosquito Bowl guide.
Is Heart of the Beast Suitable for Kids? Rating and Content
The film is rated PG-13 in the US for violence, peril, bloody and injury images and some language. It follows a man and his dog through dangerous wilderness, and reviewers say it is emotional, with some outlets telling dog lovers to bring tissues. If you are deciding whether to watch with younger children, read the ending section first, though it contains spoilers.
Heart of the Beast Ending Explained and Does the Dog Die? (Spoilers)
⚠ Show the ending and whether the dog dies
Does the dog die? No. Odin survives.
What happens to James: he does not make it. Several outlets that explain the ending agree that James dies and that the story ends with Odin kept alive and given another home.
What it means: the ending is a sacrifice story. James does not survive the wilderness, but his bond with Odin is what gets the dog to safety, and it is the reason many viewers call the film an emotional one.
Heart of the Beast Trailer
The video above is the official trailer from the Paramount Pictures YouTube channel.
More Movies to Watch Next
If you like Brad Pitt, our Bullet Train guide covers his action comedy. For more films opening this season, see our list of new Christmas movies and where to watch them and our Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol guide.
Heart of the Beast FAQ
When did Heart of the Beast come out?
It opened in US theaters on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Where can I watch Heart of the Beast?
It has been available to rent or buy digitally since November 10, 2026. The sources we checked list no Paramount+ date yet.
When does Heart of the Beast come out on Blu-ray and DVD?
On Tuesday, January 26, 2027.
Who is in the cast of Heart of the Beast?
Brad Pitt plays James Belmont, with J.K. Simmons as Watkins and Anna Lambe as Amber. Odin the dog is played by several dogs.
Who directed Heart of the Beast?
David Ayer directed it, from a screenplay by Cameron Alexander.
How long is Heart of the Beast?
101 minutes.
What is Heart of the Beast rated?
PG-13, for violence, peril, bloody and injury images and some language.
How much did Heart of the Beast make?
About $189.4 million worldwide, with about $67.9 million in the US and Canada, on an $82 million budget.
Is Heart of the Beast good?
Reviews are positive. It holds 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 94% audience score and an A- CinemaScore.
What is Heart of the Beast about?
After a plane crash, a Special Forces veteran and his combat dog are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness and must fight to survive.
Does the dog die in Heart of the Beast?
The answer is in our spoiler section above. We keep it behind a button so you can choose whether to read it.
Sources: box office is from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo. Ratings are from Rotten Tomatoes and Exhibitor Relations reporting on CinemaScore. Runtime and release dates are from The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes and Yahoo Entertainment. Reviews are from the outlets named above. Cast is from Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia. This page is not affiliated with Paramount.
Image credits, all via Wikimedia Commons and cropped: Brad Pitt, Harald Krichel (CC BY-SA 4.0); J.K. Simmons, Jay Dixit (CC BY-SA 4.0); Anna Lambe, JoshPopov (CC BY-SA 4.0); David Ayer, Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0). No stills from the film are used.
