You cannot leave the movie “Heart of the Beast” and talk only about Brad Pitt, as the American star in this work finds himself facing a partner who has a remarkable presence in the work; He is a military dog called “Odin” who has lost one of his legs and uses a prosthetic limb to accompany him amid a survival story that begins in the Alaskan wilderness, and develops into a journey about gathering loyalty in times of war.
The film, which recently arrived in cinemas and opened globally with revenues amounting to 50.1 million US dollars, came in second place at the Saudi box office, grossing 2.6 million Saudi riyals (about 693 thousand US dollars), according to the latest weekly statistics issued by the Film Commission.
An average start for a big name
The largest revenue achieved by the film's opening was recorded outside North America, as it collected US$30.1 million from international markets, compared to US$20 million in the American and Canadian markets, with foreign markets constituting about 60 percent of its total global revenues in its first days.
In Saudi Arabia, the film attracted more than 53,000 viewers during its first week, placing it in second place behind “Resident Evil,” and ahead of the rerun of “Avengers: Endgame,” which is considered an average start in the local market, despite its coming second in the week’s ranking.
This beginning also carries a different test for Brad Pitt, whose previous film “Formula 1” was surrounded by a well-known world and a wide sporting audience, while “Heart of the Beast” presents a simpler story with limited characters, and places its weight on the name of its star and his relationship with a dog, amid a harsh nature that becomes an essential part of the experience.
Man and dog facing the wilderness
Pitt leads the character of James Belmont, a former soldier in the US Special Forces, who is accompanied by his military dog, Odin. During their trip to Alaska, their plane crashes in an isolated place, beginning a journey of survival amidst the cold, the terrain, and the attacks of predatory animals.
The film, written by Cameron Alexander and directed by David Ayer, brings to mind the previous cooperation between the director and Brad Pitt in “Rage” in 2014, although the arena of confrontation here is different, as the war is present through its effects that James and Odin carry, while the battle moves to nature, and reaching safety becomes the goal that pushes the film’s story forward.
The idea is based on familiar elements in survival films; Among them are isolation, injury, harsh weather, and the long distance that separates the characters from safety. The strength of the film lies in the way it uses these elements to build the relationship between its two heroes (James and Auden), more than in its search for surprises in the course of the story.
“Odin” steals the spotlight
Brad Pitt's performance relies to a large extent on physical presence, silence, and reactions, a space that suits the nature of the film in which dialogue decreases as the journey deepens into the wilderness, to present the character of a man bearing the effects of long years of alertness and anticipation of danger, even in the one scene in which he encountered a stranger in the wilderness, he did not completely open up to him and remained wary of him, even though the man later left him quietly.
As for “Odin,” he gets his share of the film quickly, and he relies heavily on him for emotional weight. The dog goes beyond the function of a companion who helps the hero in crises, and turns into a character with his own fears, reactions, and presence, so that following his fate becomes an essential part of the tension created by the film’s events. The chemistry between Brad Pitt and the dog seems natural in most scenes, and high at other times, as the actor spent time with him before filming to build trust between them, which appears in the small details, from the way of communication, gestures, and looks that are sometimes enough to move the scene away from the dialogue.
“Odin” also bears a clear physical trace from his military past, after he lost one of his legs and uses a prosthetic limb, accompanied by a man who emerged from the military experience bearing its psychological and physical effects, so that the relationship between them became deeper than a company imposed by adventure and chance.
Nature...a third champion
“Heart of the Beast” was filmed in New Zealand, where the mountains, forests and rivers of the South Island turned into a visual alternative to the Alaskan wilderness, and the natural locations formed one of the most prominent elements of the film, especially with the wide frames that place the man and the dog facing an area that seems much larger than them.
Beauty here is associated with danger, as the river turns into a threat, the mountain poses a new challenge, and the forest provides safety for moments before opening the door to another confrontation. David Ayer also exploits this environment to create tension, with a number of action scenes relying on practical execution. Among those scenes, Pete appears inside a submerged plane, in a scene he performed a large part of himself. He swam to the plane and entered it while filming while holding his breath.
The film extends for about an hour and 41 minutes, and during most of this period it maintains a fast pace that is commensurate with adventure and survival films, as the dangers continue, while the relationship between James and Odin remains the most stable thread. However, the plot itself moves on a path in which many of its stations can be expected, especially for those who are accustomed to this type of films, which makes its ending predictable and logical to a large extent.
Testing next weeks
“Heart of the Beast” enters its second week at the beginning of October, which is crowded with new releases, making its ability to retain its audience more important than the opening number alone. In Saudi Arabia, the competition begins quickly on October 1 with the arrival of “Decker,” Tom Cruise’s latest film, along with “Verity,” which brings together Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson.
At the global level, competition is expanding with the successive October releases, from “The Social Reckoning” and “Another Mummy,” all the way to “Street Fighter” and “Clayface” in the second half of the month. As these titles enter, maintaining the top spot at the box office and audience will become a decisive factor in determining the commercial trajectory of “Heart of the Beast.”
It does not seem that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's separation ended with the signing of divorce papers. After years of disagreements, accusations, and family estrangement, a number of their children successively abandon the title of “House,” in a move that brings the fractured relationship within the family back to the forefront.
Zahra Jolie Pitt, the daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, officially bears the name Zahra Jolie, after she legally renounced her father's surname.
The 21-year-old will henceforth be known as Zahra Marley Jolie, according to court documents obtained by The Independent newspaper, which show that a judge in California approved the name change without objection.
Pitt, 62, and Angelina, 51, share six children: Maddox (25), Pax (22), Zahara (21), Shiloh (20), and twins Vivienne and Knox (18). The couple met during the filming of the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and their relationship began in 2005. They married in 2014, and separated two years later. Their divorce procedures were completed in December 2024.
Zahra is Pitt's third child to legally remove his surname from his name, as she follows in the footsteps of Shiloh, who submitted a request to delete Pitt's name on her 18th birthday in 2024, and Maddox, whose name change was completed earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Vivian applied to change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie on her 18th birthday last July. The hearing date for the request to change its name has been set for November 2nd.
These name changes come 10 years after an alleged dispute between Pitt and his family on a private plane that took off from France heading to Los Angeles in 2016, an incident that Jolie previously claimed was the reason behind their divorce.
In court documents filed after filing for divorce in 2016, Jolie accused Pitt of physical and psychological abuse on the flight, which Pitt denied. He was later subjected to investigations from multiple parties, and no charges were brought against him. On the other hand, Pitt accused his ex-wife of inciting his six children against him, which Jolie denied.
Indicators of family estrangement were not limited to some children abandoning their father’s surname, as other indications of the depth of the rift in the relationship have appeared over the past years. In 2023, a scathing post appeared on the occasion of Father’s Day, said to have been published on Pax’s private Instagram account, in which he addressed his adoptive father, saying: “Happy Father’s Day to this world-class bastard.” "Time and time again, you prove that you are a terrible, vile person."
When Shiloh applied to change her name in 2024, her lawyer, Peter Levin, said in a statement published in People magazine that she “made an independent and important decision in the wake of painful events.”
Pitt has remained largely silent about his relationship with his children, and rarely spoke publicly about the estrangement that was reported to be clouding his relationship with them.
However, in a recent interview with Esquire magazine, he revealed that he had had suicidal thoughts during a “short period” of his life.
He said: “The pain was so suffocating that... I did not intend to do it, but I felt... I felt the coldness of a metal bullet in my head, and that seemed like relief to me.”
When the interviewer asked him what triggered his suicidal thoughts, Pitt replied: “Family matters.” "We can make do with that."
Grandparents hold a special place in children's lives, and they can be among the most influential family members in a child's life, and their memories of them are often associated with love, tenderness, stories, and warm family moments. But some actions that appear spontaneous or loving may leave an unintended impact on the child’s psyche, especially when related to his personal boundaries, his relationship with his parents, or his view of his body.
In this report, specialists in treating children highlight 5 common habits that may seem “innocent” in how grandparents deal with their grandchildren, but they may be harmful, and they explain what can be done instead to build a safer and more respectful relationship with the child.
Encouraging children to keep “secrets”
Grandma or grandpa may use phrases like, “This is our little secret” or “Don’t tell your mommy,” to foster a feeling of closeness to the grandchild, but Jaylene Amodeo, a licensed mental health professional at Waypoint Wellness, describes this habit as “one of the most dangerous habits.”
Even if the “secret” is about simple things, such as eating candy before dinner or staying up after bedtime, encouraging a child to hide small things from his or her parents may create a bigger problem.
Amodeo explained, “Encouraging a child to keep secrets about small matters opens the door for abusers to exploit the child’s trust and encourage him to hide unsafe behaviors or interactions from his parents.”
What can be done instead?
Amodeo suggested rephrasing the topic of sweets or breaking some rules temporarily, using clear phrases that do not make the child associate being close to grandpa or grandma with keeping secrets from his parents.
For example, you could say: “I know that Mama and Papa say no dessert before dinner at home, but we will ask them if it is okay to eat ice cream first at Grandma’s.”
Forcing the child to give a kiss or a hug
It is natural for a grandfather or grandmother to want a hug or a kiss from a grandchild, but forcing a child to do so, and the implicit message this practice may carry, represents a problem, especially if the child turns away or hesitates.
“When a child says ‘no’ with words or body language, and an adult overrides that rejection, the child learns that his or her discomfort does not matter when it comes to adults or social courtesy,” said Rocky Mountain Counseling Collective founder Corey Reed-Vanas.
He added that this “teaches him that he cannot control his physical limits.”
What can be done instead?
To show and receive affection without imposing it, a child can be given choices, such as a hug, a handshake, or a wave, while respecting his choice.
Undermining parental authority
Even if a grandfather or grandmother does not approve of the way his or her son or daughter raises their child, respecting the parents' decisions is still important.
“Even grandparents with the best intentions make the mistake of undermining their parents’ authority,” said Caitlin Severin, a marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with teens and co-founder of Cultiva Teen Roots.
She added that the goal may be to build a good relationship with the grandson, enhance communication with him, or appear as a “fun” person, but this may cause more harm than was intended.
This behavior may appear, for example, when a grandfather or grandmother rolls their eyes mockingly after a parent says that iPad time is over.
What can be done instead?
Severin suggests agreeing with parents on family values and expectations, saying that this “can make a big difference.”
Severin suggested creating special, separate opportunities where grandparents can be “pampered” after obtaining parental consent.
Comment on the grandson’s body, weight, appetite, or way of eating
Even if these comments are meant as a compliment, they can have harmful effects.
Examples of this include saying phrases such as: “You look very thin,” or “You eat very well.”
“This kind of dialogue makes kids aware that their bodies are being monitored and judged,” said Dr. Wildalis Caro, a licensed clinical psychologist and medical contributor to The Healing Center Cherry Hill.
She added, "Repeated comments centered around the body may lead to feelings of shame about oneself, comparison, and an unhealthy obsession with food and appearance."
What can be done instead?
Instead of commenting on a child's body shape, Caro recommended focusing on what they are doing, learning, creating or enjoying.
A child can, for example, be told that he or she is cheerful, kind, curious, accepting of others, or persistent.
She added: “Children should be able to sit at their grandparents’ table without thinking that they are being evaluated, whether the plate of food or their bodies.”
Speak on behalf of grandchildren
When a grandchild is shy, it's understandable that grandparent or grandparent might want to speak up for him or her to ease his anxiety or keep the conversation going, but that may not be helpful for him or her in the long run.
“When grandparents speak frequently on behalf of their grandchildren, it may give children fewer opportunities to develop their ability to express their wants or needs, by answering questions and participating in conversations with others,” explained Dr. Max Duchay, a licensed psychologist and co-founder and CEO of KMN Psycho.
What can be done instead?
Help can be provided to the child in other ways, such as giving him extra time to respond and not rushing to answer on his behalf.
He encouraged Doshay to support the development of the child's communication skills, because this sends him the message that his ideas are important and that the adults around him trust his ability to express them.
