Brad Pitt's Near-Perfect Dad Movie Officially Removed From 2,500 Theaters

After a blockbuster debut on the PVOD market this week, David Ayer and Brad Pitt's new survival thriller, Heart of the Beast, is nearing the end of its theatrical run. That said, the movie still has a shot at hitting the $200 million mark at the worldwide box office, which would put it within touching distance of Pitt's previous collaboration with Ayer, the World War II hit Fury. Like that fan-favorite movie, Heart of the Beast has all the makings of a home-video superhit, especially when its early performance on the PVOD market is taken into consideration.

Ayer has proven himself to have a keen understanding of his audience: older men. Before Heart of the Beast, he directed two Jason Statham vehicles — The Beekeeper and A Working Man — that were exceptionally well-liked by fans. The films received "Verified Hot" 92% and 87% audience scores on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and have established themselves as near-permanent fixtures on the domestic streaming charts.

Heart of the Beast received an even higher 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, in addition to a "Certified Fresh" 94% critics' score. The site's consensus 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 movie immediately identified itself as a particularly resilient hit, having delivered impressive holds in its first few weeks of release.

Here's How Much 'Heart of the Beast' Has Grossed at the Box Office

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Heart of the Beast opened in more than 3,400 theaters nationwide in September, and it'll enter its eighth week of release in fewer than 1,000 theaters. It has so far grossed nearly $190 million worldwide against a reported budget of $82 million. The movie has broken even theatrically, meaning that every penny it makes from now on is icing on the cake. And its performance on digital suggests that it will turn into a major downstream hit for Paramount.

Incidentally, Ayer and Pitt were said to have clashed over the final cut. The version that made it to theaters seems to have really clicked with audiences. According to FlixPatrol, Heart of the Beast claimed the number-one spot on the iTunes and Amazon charts immediately after its digital debut this week, overtaking the holdover hits Verity and Resident Evil. Pitt will soon reprise his Oscar-winning role as everyone's favorite Bruce Lee hater in The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, which will get an exclusive two-week run in IMAX theaters before landing on Netflix in December.