Brad Pitt stars as a retired Army Special Forces veteran stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog in the survival thriller Heart of the Beast, which is distributed by Paramount Pictures and is now in theaters. Directed by David Ayer, whose prior work includes “End of Watch,” “Fury(also starring Pitt), and
The Beekeeper,” the film follows the harrowing journey of both man and animal after their solo excursion into the Alaskan wilderness goes awry when the pair crash land in the middle of nowhere.
Uber and His Offspring Share the Role of Odin
Instead of relying on computer-generated imagery, the filmmakers cast a real-life German Shepherd named Uber to play the combat dog Odin. At six years old, Uber brought a distinct presence to the set that captured the attention of the production team.
You only have to do one look at him on screen, and everyone agrees that he’s a potential movie star,
head trainer Andrew Simpson told RNZ, adding that the dog had a face that captivated an audience and that close-ups highlighting emotion, such as a twist of the head or a lick of the chops, were all Uber.
[He’s] a very special dog, I knew as soon as I saw him. He was mature… he was six-years-old, he had an old soul inside him, looked like he lived a few past lives. He was very gentle, very calm, very grounded and he just had Odin written all over him, Simpson added
Because a demanding survival film requires careful handling, the role was shared. Head trainer Andrew Simpson revealed to RNZ that the role was shared by the dog along with three of his offspring. Uber fathered 10 litters, and trainers selected three of his descendants to share the role as they all look alike. Before stepping onto a movie set, Uber spent two years in police academy training, though he ultimately failed. I think he was just too nice a dog to be a police dog,
Simpson told RNZ. He also spent some time down in Queenstown acting as a companion for a paramedic who worked in the rescue helicopters.
Behind the Scenes of a Survival Thriller
Maintaining continuity across multiple dogs required a dedicated crew. A team of 12 people cared for the dogs on set, which consisted of Andrew Simpson, four trainers, makeup artists, a prosthetic department, and a costume department, with the dogs even having their own trailers on set. Crew members had to ensure continuity whenever the dogs were switched out for scenes, managing details such as the military vest which gets broken down over the course of the film, a bandana, a collar, and a prosthetic leg on his front leg, all of which had to be maintained, broken down, colored, and fixed.
Behind the camera, director David Ayer shaped Heart of the Beast alongside screenwriter Cameron Alexander into a gritty survival drama rather than a standard animal-in-peril movie. The narrative centers on James Belmont, played by Brad Pitt, and Odin navigating the remote Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash triggered by an ill-timed heart attack. Both characters are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of their experiences in the Afghanistan war, and the unit that James and Odin both belonged to in the war have all died. Simmons.
Does Odin Survive the Wilderness?
For audiences wondering about the fate of the animal companion, the film provides an answer early on through a flashforward of Odin being found by a kindly young Native American woman named Anna Lambe. While both man and dog suffer grave injuries along the way, Odin survives. Veteran film cutter Dody Dorn’s editing helps translate the canine’s emotions and goals through body language and looks, while flashbacks double as James’ memories to tie the two characters closer together.
The story ultimately diverges from traditional cinematic tropes about animal loyalty, such as the “Jurassic Bark” episode from “Futurama.” After a pack of vicious wolves attacks and leaves James fatally wounded, James attempts to ensure Odin gets a new owner, a home, and a life beyond him, with Odin taking over as the lone survivor when James succumbs to his injuries.