[Edaily Reporter YUN GI BACK ] Hollywood star Brad Pitt carried boiled chicken in his pocket throughout the entire film shoot. It wasn’t to keep himself fed. It was to win over the heart of a special co-star. That co-star was none other than a German Shepherd named “Uber.”

Behind-the-scenes stories from the film “Heart of the Beast,” which opened in South Korea on the 28th, are drawing attention. Director David Ayer recently highlighted the special chemistry between Pitt and the animal actor Uber in an interview with “The Credits,” a media outlet operated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
The film tells the story of James (played by Brad Pitt), a former special forces operative stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash, who fights for survival alongside his military dog, Odin. Since the bond between the two protagonists is central to the film, the chemistry between the human and animal actors was of the utmost importance.
Pitt’s secret weapon of choice was boiled chicken. Director Ayer revealed that Pitt walked around with his pockets full of chicken during filming. Whenever Uber’s attention wandered, Pitt would use the chicken to draw his focus back, encouraging natural performances.
Pitt’s efforts didn’t stop there. Even before filming began, he visited the kennel where Uber was staying to spend time with him and build trust. During actual filming, he even adjusted his own performance to match Uber’s behavior. In an international interview, Pitt joked that he’d been exposed to the smell of chicken for so long that he now finds it hard to even tolerate the scent of boiled chicken.

Odin in the film has another secret. Although he appears to be a single dog, the role was actually shared by four dogs. Uber, who played the lead, appeared alongside his three “sons.” They divided the filming tasks according to their individual specialties, such as swimming, running, and action sequences at heights.
Uber’s background is also remarkable. Before appearing in the film, Uber worked as a search-and-rescue dog and has a wealth of field experience, including riding in helicopters. The production team discovered Uber while searching for animal actors throughout New Zealand and cast him after being impressed by his extensive experience and expressive acting.
Pete also took on a challenging scene. He performed a high-difficulty sequence—swimming into a submerged airplane and acting while holding his breath—without a stunt double. Although the shoot took place in rugged mountainous terrain and cold water, it turned out that the co-star requiring the most meticulous preparation was actually his four-legged fellow actor.
Thanks to these efforts, “Heart of the Beast” topped the domestic box office on the 29th, drawing over 20,000 viewers. While they play comrades-in-arms who protect each other’s lives in the film, off-camera, Brad Pitt and Uber built a friendship over a plate of boiled chicken. The behind-the-scenes stories of these two “actors”—which are just as compelling as the movie itself—offer a unique and entertaining glimpse into their collaboration.