Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, and Director David Ayer on the Bond at the Center of Paramount Pictures' 'Heart of the Beast'

Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, and Director David Ayer on the Bond at the Center of Paramount Pictures' 'Heart of the Beast'

In Heart of the Beast, survival comes down to trust.

Paramount Pictures' new adventure film stars Brad Pitt as Special Forces officer James Belmont, who finds himself stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness following a harrowing plane crash. At his side is Odin, his combat dog and closest companion. Together, the pair must battle the elements and find a way home, putting their bond to its greatest test yet.

For Pitt, the film began with an immediate emotional response to the screenplay. "It always starts with the writing," Pitt said. "And I read the script, and I put it down, and I was so moved that I kind of snuck out of the kitchen onto the back deck, and I wept, but in a warm and rewarding kind of way," he said. "If a script can bring that kind of reaction to me, it's worth going to chase to see if we can bring that same reaction to the film."

Building a Bond On and Off Screen

Building a convincing on-screen bond between James and Odin began long before the cameras rolled. "The most important thing we had to achieve was trust from the dog, Uber, who plays Odin in our film," Pitt said. "And so upon arrival, just banking as much time as we could together so that he would trust me, that he knew he was safe with me."

Brad Pitt and Uber on set of Heart of the Beast

"This is a love story to me," said J.K. Simmons. "And I think audiences will be moved by it, by this bond, this relationship." After seeing the finished film, he was struck by the lengths both characters are willing to go for one another. "Both James and Odin are more than willing to do that for each other. And that's something that is beautiful and rare and profound."

Into the Wilderness

New Zealand stood in for the Alaskan wilderness, surrounding the characters with the scale and unpredictability of nature. "The setting was magnificent," Simmons said. "It reminded me of northwestern Montana and the sheer beauty and power of nature."

Filming in that environment also reinforced the vulnerability at the center of the story. "When you're out on that lake in an unwieldy canoe and the wind kicks in, we are at the mercy of nature," said Simmons.

Brad Pitt, Uber and J.K. Simmons on set of Heart of the Beast

For Ayer, bringing this visceral story to screen meant tackling a series of demanding sequences. "We had an aircraft underwater that Brad had to hold his breath, swim down to set into the aircraft, call action, perform his action underwater, and then hopefully make it back to the surface for another breath," Ayer said. "So that choreography, that precision in the work Brad did was incredibly impressive. Normally you double guys for this stuff. And there he is. It's his face. He's in this plane."

A Story Worth Telling

For Ayer, the physical demands of the production were ultimately in service of the story. "Making any movie is such a huge commitment of not just time, but your heart, your labor, your effort, your emotional life and your sleep," Ayer said. "And the reason I did this film was the script. Everything comes down to story."

For Ayer, that story balances the scale of an adventure with an intimate relationship at its center. "It's just the emotional life it has. It's an adventure. It's a best friendship. It's a study in the heart and life and has this beautiful symphonic ending," he said. "And I just saw that as a wonderful challenge as a director."

Director David Ayer and Brad Pitt on set of Heart of the Beast

Celebrating the Bond Beyond the Screen

At the Heart of the Beast global premiere, the film's celebration of the bond between people and their dogs extended beyond the screen as Paramount teamed up with Wags & Walks Nashville to spotlight adoptable big dogs. Rescue pups Trix, Noodle, Jenny and T-Rex walked the red carpet before Pitt and Animal Coordinator Andrew Simpson joined Wags & Walks at a Big Dog Adoption Event at Copperline Ranch the following day, where 14 dogs were celebrated - including Trix and T-Rex, who have since found their forever homes.

Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe and directed by David Ayer, is in theaters September 25. Get tickets now.