Otago and Fiordland’s stunning and remote landscapes are about to hit the silver screen again — this time as a stand-in for the Alaskan wilderness.
It is the backdrop to Paramount Pictures’ Heart of the Beast, starring Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and New Zealand mountain rescue dog Uber.
The movie’s first trailer was released today.
The survival drama, directed by David Ayer, follows a retired United States Army Special Forces veteran and his retired combat dog, who must battle the brutal elements to find civilisation after a catastrophic plane crash in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.
It explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle.
In an interview in GQ magazine, Ayer said filming was both unpleasant at times, and rewarding.
‘‘You're sitting there in the rain, there's mud everywhere, you're slipping off the side of the mountain and the dog is running around.
‘‘And every now and then, something came across my monitor that took my breath away.
‘‘I’m like, this is the movie. This is why we’re here.
‘‘For all intents and purposes, it's Alaska — you can’t tell the difference.’’
There was one very remote location which could only be accessed by helicopter, and they were limited to three loads of equipment.
‘‘We took Brad and the dog in a helicopter and dropped them off on a ridge and just had them walking along and photographed that.’’
There was barely anywhere to stand during the shoot, he said.
‘‘I was operating the camera a lot.
‘‘We're just in this rugged wilderness, with the intensity of it.
‘‘There's something about a dog that creates this added pressure, because the dog is going to do what the dog does.’’
After creating moments of absolute havoc on screen, it was great to step off the set into ‘‘this beautiful, quiet wilderness’’.
The film is scheduled for release in New Zealand cinemas on September 24.
