A month into a stellar box-office run, Paramount’s new survival thriller is finally making way for new releases. The movie received excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike, fending off competition and holding its ground week after week. The film marks yet another win for David Ayer, who escaped director jail with a trio of hits that have been universally embraced by their target audiences. Ayer established himself with a string of critically acclaimed crime movies before being hired to direct the big-budget DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad. The film’s behind-the-scenes issues and poor reception significantly hampered his career despite the movie being a box office success. But he bounced back a couple of years ago with a sleeper hit that’s on the verge of being overtaken by his new survival thriller.
In 2024, Ayer delivered the franchise-starting action hit The Beekeeper. Starring Jason Statham, the movie grossed more than $160 million worldwide and is about to get a long-awaited sequel in January 2027. The movie received positive reviews from critics, and is sitting at an exceptional 92% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Ayer and Statham reunited on A Working Man, which debuted a year later. The action film generated nearly $100 million worldwide, and like The Beekeeper, is sitting at a terrific 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here’s How Much the Survival Thriller Has Grossed So Far
Ayer’s new film, Heart of the Beast, has outdone them both. The survival thriller, starring Brad Pitt in the lead role, holds a “Verified Hot” 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ score for the movie, on the other hand, has settled at a “Certified Fresh” 85%, with a consensus that reads, “A rigorously entertaining adventure story told through a spartan script and memorable set pieces, Heart of the Beast pays rousing tribute to man’s best friend.” The positive reception clearly worked in the film’s favor. Heart of the Beast opened in around 3,400 theaters nationwide, and has so far grossed more than $155 million globally against a reported budget of $82 million. It’ll enter its sixth week in 2,260 theaters, having been removed from around 1,200 theaters nationwide.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Release Date
September 25, 2026
Runtime
101 Minutes