Brad Pitt's 'Heart of the Beast' opens Sept 25. David Ayer's last two films opened mid-teens. Will it clear $20 million domestically?

Brad Pitt's survival thriller "Heart of the Beast," directed by David Ayer, opened domestically on September 25, 2026, and grossed approximately $20,042,473 over its first weekend in North America, according to box office trackers cited by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. The film added roughly $30 million internationally for a worldwide opening near $50 million, against a reported production budget of about $82 million. The domestic number placed the film third at the weekend box office, behind a re-release of "Avengers: Endgame" and the horror sequel "Resident Evil," both of which opened the same frame.

Despite the crowded marketplace, the film narrowly cleared the $20 million threshold, outperforming the mid-teens openings of Ayer's two previous directorial efforts. Strong reviews, including an 87 percent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95 percent audience score, helped the film hold up against competition for screens and audience attention. The community predicted this outcome correctly, with 75 percent of forecasters expecting the film to clear $20 million domestically, though the final margin over that bar was slim.