Heart of the Beast Star Odin's Trainer Was Glad That He Had Another Life: Brad Pitt

While F1 superstar Brad Pitt is drawing praise for his distinctive performance as a Special Forces officer, it is his four-legged co-star who is winning hearts and earning the loudest cheers at early screenings of the survival adventure.

But finding the right dog to play Odin in Heart of the Beast was no ordinary casting process. The filmmakers launched a New Zealand-wide casting call, where the film was being shot, to find the noble canine who is the heart of the film. Animal trainer Andrew Simpson, who worked on Heart of the Beast, searched far and wide. From the internet to military and law enforcement contacts and private breeders, he turned everywhere to find the right dogs for the demanding role. Simpson ultimately selected four dogs to play Odin, with training beginning weeks before cameras rolled. The dogs had to be prepared for a film packed with action, challenging locations and demanding sequences alongside Brad Pitt.

“All of these dogs had been sitting on somebody’s couch watching TV and eating treats when we found them,” says Simpson. “We spent the first week of the five we trained them just getting to know them and understand their quirks. This movie is action from beginning to end, and every scene had its own challenges for us. Luckily, David (Ayer, director) was open to understanding how to get the best out of the animals.”

When shooting began, Uber, a majestic, 100+ pound German Shepherd, emerged as the principal dog playing Odin. His real-life credentials made him particularly suited to the role. After a career as a police dog, Uber transitioned into search and rescue. Following the passing of his partner, he was put out to pasture until Simpson discovered him and recognised the experience he could bring to the film. “He’s used to being in helicopters, boats, trucks,” says Simpson. “You name it; he’s done it. And he has the Brad Pitt face of dogs, so he’s the dog we used most often for closeups.”

Uber became so central to the project that the filmmakers made him number one on the daily call sheet, a position normally reserved for an actor of Pitt’s stature.

“He was really good when we were hiking through the woods and through the forest,” says Pitt. “When Andrew discovered Uber visiting the North Island, his trainer was overjoyed. Her exact words were, ‘I knew he had another life in him.’”

But Uber wasn't the only canine bringing Odin to life. The film's other three dogs are all his sons: littermates Ryker and Zika, along with their younger half-brother Hondo. Each brought a different set of qualities and skills to the production, allowing the filmmakers to tackle the wide range of action required for the role.

Together, the four dogs brought different dimensions to Odin, with Uber's real-world experience and his sons' individual strengths helping create the canine hero at the centre of Heart of the Beast.

Produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Domain Entertainment and Gulfstream Pictures, Heart of the Beast arrives exclusively in cinemas across India this Friday, 25th September 2026.