Where was Heart of the Beast filmed? Discover the New Zealand locations standing in for Alaska, from Queenstown and Glenorchy to Milford Sound.
Before we chase the filming locations for Heart of the Beast (2026), here’s what sends Brad Pitt into the wilderness with a very good dog.
Directed by David Ayer, Heart of the Beast follows former Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his retired combat dog, Odin, after their plane crashes deep in the Alaskan wilderness.
Stranded roughly 58 miles from the nearest road, the pair must battle freezing water, mountains, storms, predators, injuries, and the ghosts of James’s military past while trying to find a way home.
The film also stars J.K. Simmons as Walter Boone and Anna Lambe as Amber. So, where was all that supposedly Alaskan wilderness actually filmed? Well, Alaska gets the credit, but New Zealand did the heavy lifting.
Table of Contents
🐕 Heart of the Beast Filming Locations
The movie’s fictional Alaska is actually a spectacular tour of New Zealand’s South Island, with controlled studio work in Auckland filling in the bits nature wisely refused to provide.
🏔️ Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown served as the production base and provided much of the film’s mountain wilderness. Nearby Queenstown Hill doubled for James Belmont’s military past, including Black Hawk helicopter sequences.
Its rugged terrain, steep mountains, and unpredictable weather helped create the remote Alaskan setting while supporting the logistics of filming across New Zealand’s South Island.
What was filmed here:
- Queenstown, New Zealand: Production base and wilderness material
- Queenstown Hill, New Zealand: Military helicopter & Black Hawk sequences
What to see & do here:
- Queenstown Gardens, New Zealand: Lakeside walks & landscaped gardens.
- Skyline Queenstown, New Zealand: Mountain views above town.
- Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand: Scenic cruises & waterfront views.
- Ben Lomond Track, New Zealand: Challenging hike with alpine panoramas.
- Arrowtown, New Zealand: Historic gold-mining village near Queenstown.
- Shotover River, New Zealand: Jet-boat rides through dramatic canyon scenery.
- Lake Hayes, New Zealand: Peaceful lakeside walks & mountain views.
🌊 Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand
Lake Wakatipu provides the film’s early wilderness campsite and sweeping water imagery. James and Odin arrive beside the vast lake, surrounded by mountains, before their survival trip takes a disastrous turn.
Filming around Kinloch used the shoreline, boats, and a seaplane to create the sense of remote Alaskan wilderness. Brad Pitt also worked in the cold water for scenes in which James physically struggles against the elements.
With little visible infrastructure, the lake’s immense scale makes the setting feel genuinely isolated, turning a remote camping trip into a survival ordeal.
What was filmed here:
- Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand: Initial campsite & water sequences.
- Kinloch, New Zealand: Lakeside filming with boats and seaplane.
What to see & do here:
- Queenstown Waterfront, New Zealand: Cafés, galleries, & floating saunas.
- TSS Earnslaw, New Zealand: Historic steamship cruises across Lake Wakatipu.
- Kinloch, New Zealand: Fishing, kayaking, & secluded lakeside camping.
- Bob’s Cove, New Zealand: Snorkelling, swimming, and native bush.
- Walter Peak, New Zealand: Farm tours and lakeside dining.
- Queenstown Hill, New Zealand: Summit views and the popular Time Walk.
🌲 Glenorchy, New Zealand
Glenorchy and nearby Kinloch provide a concentrated mix of lake, forest, river, meadow, and mountain terrain. The production used this variety to make James and Odin’s journey feel longer and more geographically diverse.
Glenorchy also served as a base for moving boats, helicopters, and equipment into remote locations. Lake Sylvan, near Glenorchy, appears in aerial footage of the plane’s approach before the crash, rather than as the crash site itself.
Its extreme inaccessibility made conventional ground filming impractical, so the production captured aerial shots of the aircraft crossing the surrounding wilderness.
What was filmed here:
- Glenorchy, New Zealand: Wilderness travel & surrounding mountain sequences.
- Lake Sylvan, New Zealand: Aerial plane approach before crash.
- Kinloch, New Zealand: Additional lake & remote wilderness material.
What to see & do here:
- Glenorchy Lagoon Walkway: Easy wetlands trail with mountain views.
- Glenorchy Scenic Drive: Road trip through spectacular landscapes.
- Routeburn Track: Multi-day hiking through alpine landscapes.
- Paradise, New Zealand: Scenic valley surrounded by beech forest & mountains.
Book a tour:
🏞️ Dart River, New Zealand
The Dart River provides the riverbank beside the meadow used for James and Odin’s early wilderness scenes. Its braided channels, gravel banks, and surrounding mountains create a convincing remote setting and reinforces the film’s theme of water as both a resource and a hazard.
What was filmed here:
- Dart River, New Zealand: Riverbank beside James & Odin’s meadow.
What to see & do here:
- Dart River, New Zealand: Canoeing, boating, & guided river trips.
- Dart River Delta, New Zealand: Birdwatching & riverside scenery.
- Glenorchy Airstrip, New Zealand: Scenic flights over the Southern Alps.
Book a tour:
🌳 Paradise & Jordan Creek Forest, New Zealand
Paradise, New Zealand provides contrasting landscapes for James and Odin’s journey.
Jordan Creek Forest supplies the dense woodland where James encounters Walter Boone, while Paradise Trust provides the overlook, field, and road reached after their struggle through the swamp.
The production also filmed aerial shots across the area, including takes of one of the dogs playing Odin running through the field. David Ayer joked that the dog never seemed to tire.
What was filmed here:
- Jordan Creek Forest, New Zealand: James encounters Walter Boone.
- Paradise Trust, New Zealand: Post-swamp overlook and Odin’s run.
What to see & do here:
- Paradise, New Zealand: Visit the historic Paradise Trust property.
- Jordan Creek Forest, New Zealand: Native beech forest & local birdlife.
💥 Lake Gunn, New Zealand
Lake Gunn provides the lakeside setting for the plane crash, complementing the aerial approach filmed at Lake Sylvan,. A small beach was used for the practical crash area, while technical water work moved to a controlled tank at Kumeū Film Studios.
What was filmed here:
- Lake Gunn, New Zealand: Physical lakeside crash aftermath.
- Fiordland, New Zealand: Surrounding wilderness establishing imagery.
What to see & do here:
- Lake Gunn, New Zealand: Scenic roadside lake viewing.
- Te Anau, New Zealand: Gateway town for Fiordland.
- Glowworm Caves: Underground waterfalls & glowworm grotto.
- Milford Road, New Zealand: Dramatic alpine road trip.
🏔️ Earnslaw Burn & Mount Earnslaw, New Zealand
Earnslaw Burn & Mount Earnslaw provide some of the film’s most expansive aerial imagery. The production flew a six-seat Cessna 185 over the valley and glacier, with a camera mounted on the aircraft and a helicopter following alongside.
David Ayer highlighted a top-down shot of the plane crossing glacier cracks, which he compared to elephant skin. The footage establishes the scale of the wilderness James and Odin are entering, making their isolation feel immediate and imposing.
What was filmed here:
- Earnslaw Burn, New Zealand: Plane crossing glacier & valley.
- Mount Earnslaw, New Zealand: Aerial mountain & glacier photography.
What to see & do here:
- Earnslaw Burn, New Zealand: Guided wilderness hiking adventure.
- Mount Earnslaw, New Zealand: Mountain views from Glenorchy.
Book a tour:
🏔️ Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand
Mount Aspiring National Park provides the alpine terrain, while the wider Routeburn River and Routeburn Valley area adds river crossings, boulder fields, forests, and rugged mountain routes.
Chinaman’s Bluff, a dramatic rock formation in Mount Aspiring National Park near Glenorchy, provides the open meadow where James plays with Odin, establishing their bond before the survival ordeal.
The Dart Track’s final section is currently closed due to a major landslide, with closures expected through at least December 2026.
What was filmed here:
- Mount Aspiring National Park: Remote alpine survival sequences.
- Chinaman’s Bluff, New Zealand: James plays with Odin in meadow.
- Routeburn River, New Zealand: River crossings & boulder terrain.
- Routeburn Valley, New Zealand: Mountain trekking & wilderness coverage.
What to see & do here:
- Mount Aspiring National Park: Alpine hiking & photography.
- Routeburn Track, New Zealand: Multi-day Great Walk adventure.
- Rob Roy Glacier Track, New Zealand: Glacier views and rainforest.
- Glenorchy Airstrip, New Zealand: Scenic flights over the Southern Alps..
❄️ Invincible Snowfields, New Zealand
The Invincible Snowfields Ski Resort provides the snow-covered terrain for James’s search for Odin after the crash and their dangerous bear encounter.
The high-altitude setting introduces snow and harsher conditions and allowed the production to capture convincing winter landscapes, with the snowfields expanding the fictional wilderness into a colder, more hostile environment.
What was filmed here:
- Invincible Snowfields, New Zealand: Post-crash snow & bear sequence.
What to see & do here:
- Invincible Snowfields, New Zealand: Guided helicopter alpine experiences.
🌊 Milford Sound, New Zealand
Milford Sound or Piopiotahi brings Fiordland’s dark, dramatic landscape to the film’s wilderness. Its steep mountains, deep water, and dense vegetation expand the sense of scale and isolation, with towering cliffs and unpredictable weather adding to the film’s harsh environment.
What was filmed here:
- Milford Sound, New Zealand: Dramatic wilderness landscapes.
What to see & do here:
- Milford Sound, New Zealand: Scenic fiord cruise beneath cliffs.
- Milford Track, New Zealand: Iconic multi-day wilderness hiking.
- Mitre Peak, New Zealand: Landmark mountain photography.
🎥 Kumeū Film Studios, Auckland, New Zealand
Kumeū Film Studios handled sequences that were too dangerous or impractical to film in the wilderness. A studio tank was used for parts of the plane crash and underwater action, while the backlot became an Afghan village for James and Odin’s military flashbacks.
An indoor swamp set allowed Brad Pitt to film chest-deep in water under controlled conditions. The wolf attack was staged on a constructed rocky set, with performers in grey suits later enhanced with visual effects.
What to see & do here:
- Kumeū, Auckland: Explore Auckland’s northwest wine region.
- Muriwai Beach, Auckland: Black-sand beach and gannet colony.
- Auckland Museum: Explore Māori and Pacific taonga.
- Wētā Workshop: Go behind the scenes of practical filmmaking.
🐺 Heart of the Beast FAQs
The New Zealand locations are impressive, but the production stories are where things get gloriously wild.
Was Heart of the Beast based on a book or a true story?
No. Heart of the Beast is not a true-story adaptation. It’s based on an original screenplay by Cameron Alexander.
Did the dog die in Heart of the Beast?
No, Odin does not die. Producer Richard Raymond publicly confirmed that the dog survives, so dog lovers can unclench their jaws now.
Was Heart of the Beast on the Black List?
Yes. Cameron Alexander’s screenplay appeared on the 2017 Black List, which highlights notable unproduced screenplays.
Who’s in the cast of Heart of the Beast?
The principal cast is intentionally small, keeping the emotional focus firmly on James and his canine companion.
- Brad Pitt: James Belmont
- J.K. Simmons: Walter Boone
- Anna Lambe: Amber
- Uber: Odin
Was Odin played by one dog?
No. Four German Shepherds played Odin, with Uber, a real-life mountain-rescue dog, serving as the primary dog and his three sons supporting him. The production had only around 12 weeks to train the dogs for their roles.
Did Brad Pitt have to bond with Uber?
Absolutely. Pitt spent substantial time with Uber before filming as building that trust was one of the most important parts of the production.
Did Brad Pitt really go underwater?
Yes. Pitt personally performed an underwater sequence involving an aircraft, swimming down to the plane, performing the action, and returning to the surface for another breath. Apparently “just CGI it” was not invited to this particular meeting.
Were the wolves real?
No. The wolf sequence was filmed with performers in grey suits on a constructed rocky set, with visual effects completing the animals. New Zealand’s lack of wolves and grizzly bears made digital creatures the practical choice.
Who directed Heart of the Beast?
David Ayer directed the movie and also produced it alongside Brad Pitt, Olivia Hamilton, and Marty Bowen. Ayer and Pitt previously worked together on Fury (2014).
When does Heart of the Beast come out?
Heart of the Beast was released in theaters in the USA on September 25, 2026.
What is the Heart of the Beast rating?
Heart of the Beast is rated PG-13 for violence, peril, bloody images, injury images, and some language, with a runtime of 101 minutes.
Who composed the Heart of the Beast soundtrack?
Jared Michael Fry composed the original score, with the official soundtrack album released digitally on September 25, 2026. The trailer prominently features Stephen Wilson Jr.’s version of Stand By Me.
What song is in the Heart of the Beast trailer?
Stephen Wilson Jr.’s version of Stand By Me is the song used prominently in the second trailer. It’s a cover of the Ben E. King classic, giving the rugged survival movie an unexpectedly soulful musical choice.
Why did New Zealand stand in for Alaska?
New Zealand offered the production glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, snowfields, and enormous stretches of remote wilderness, all within the South Island. It also had the local crews and production infrastructure needed for a technically demanding shoot.
Was Heart of the Beast filmed entirely on location?
No. Much of the wilderness was filmed at real locations on New Zealand’s South Island, but the plane crash, swamp, wolf attack, and military flashback sets required controlled studio work at Kumeū Film Studios in Auckland.
What are some movies like Heart of the Beast?
- Cast Away (2000): Stranded man survives on remote island.
- Eight Below (2006): Sled dogs survive Antarctic isolation.
- Into the Wild (2007): Young man seeks freedom in Alaska.
- Arctic (2018): Stranded man battles frozen wilderness.
- Alpha (2018): Injured hunter bonds with wolf.
- Apex (2021): Hunter becomes prey in the wilderness.
- Dog (2022): Soldier drives cross-country with dog.
- The Grey (2011): Plane-crash survivors battle wolves.
📺 Where to Watch Heart of the Beast
Where can I watch Heart Of The Beast? Here’s where to find this Brad Pitt survival thriller.
- ➡️ Heart of the Beast is currently in its theatrical release, with Paramount listing September 25, 2026, as its U.S. release date.
Heart of the Beast may call itself an Alaskan survival story, but its spectacular wilderness is very much a New Zealand production achievement in a seriously unforgiving cinematic wilderness.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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