David Ayer’s “Heart of the Beast” wasn’t really a sleeper hit, given that it stars Brad Pitt, but the harrowing survival film turned out to be a surprisingly leggy box office performer thanks to solid word of mouth. Now it’s about to find a wider audience as it moves to streaming on November 10 (as the opening of Pitt’s kinda-sorta anticipated “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth” nears).
The film caught on with moviegoers due to its deeply affecting narrative about a retired Army veteran (Pitt) and his combat dog struggling to survive in the Alaskan wilderness after their seaplane crashes. The crash is caused by Pitt’s character having a heart attack, but he’s not down for the count — not yet. He and his dog are uniquely equipped to hoof it 58 miles back to civilization, but this terrain is every bit as treacherous as a battle zone. Along the way, they encounter wolves (dredging up memories of Joe Carnahan’s “The Grey”), a grizzly bear and other obstacles that test their resolve. Each challenge leaves them a little (or a lot) worse for the wear, but they are determined to emerge from this ordeal as they’ve done so often in their war-torn past.
Again, “Heart of the Beast” will begin streaming via Premium VOD on November 10, and consumers will get a few extras to go along with their purchase.
Think you’re done crying after watching Heart of the Beast? Get a load of these extras!
According to a press release issued by Paramount today, the PVOD “Heart of the Beast” will include a behind-the-scenes featurette titled “One Last Mission,” which is said to be a “love letter to the land, the people, and most of all the dogs who made this film shine.” (Their names are Uber, Seeka and Ryker.) Because you can never get enough good-dog footage, there’s also “Uber & Brad: A Soulful Bond.” Not sure why Seeka and Ryker were denied a mention here, but I guess I’ll find out when I watch it. Finally, there are deleted scenes that promise to “play tug of war with your heart strings,” so get ready to weep some more once you’ve finished the film (and you will weep).
While it would’ve been nice if this visually stunning film remained in theaters for a little while longer, it was clear from jump that its destiny was to become a dad movie classic. It’ll be streaming for years and years to come, forcing grown men to complain about their dusty living rooms/man caves. And if you’re one of those people who needs to know the fate of the pooch ahead of time, /Film’s got you covered.
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