After enthralling audiences with his Formula One-based film F1, Brad Pitt is gearing up for the September 25 release of the adventure-survival thriller Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer. The film follows Pitt's character as he survives a plane crash with his dog and struggles to stay alive in the Alaskan wilderness. Interestingly, in a recent public appearance, the actor revealed that his co-star in the film is a German Shepherd with prior history in search and rescue operations. It took a long time for the makers to find the right dog for the film after they initiated a casting call for it in New Zealand, its shooting location.
After a thorough search, canine trainer Andrew Simpson shortlisted four candidates for the part of Odin and started to train them days before the team started production on the film. The right dog required training as the film had plenty of demanding scenes and much action. "All of these dogs had been sitting on somebody’s couch watching TV and eating treats when we found them," shared Simpson. He added, "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 was open to understanding how to get the best out of the animals."
Eventually, a German Shepherd named Uber came out on top as the frontrunner for the role of Odin. Uber's career as a search and rescue dog in law enforcement helped him land the part. Uber was considered too old to be useful after his partner's demise until Simpson identified him, realising that his years-long experience could benefit the film.
"He’s used to being in helicopters, boats, trucks,” Simpson shared. “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.”
The dog became an integral part of the project that its makers considered him the most important cast member on the call sheet every day, a position which is otherwise reserved for lead heroes such as Brad Pitt.
Speaking about his Heart of the Beast co-star, the actor shared, "He was really good when we were hiking through the woods and through the forest. When Andrew discovered Uber visiting the North Island, his trainer was overjoyed. Her exact words were, ‘I knew he had another life in him."