‘Heart of the Beast’: David Ayer to Direct Damien Chazelle Production!!

David Ayer has found his next project after delivering the hit action film The Beekeeper. He will next helm Paramount’s Heart of the Beast which will be produced by Damien Chazelle, Deadline reports. The film written by Cameron Alexander hasn’t announced the cast yet. While the plot details are kept tightly under wraps, the plot follows a former Navy SEAL and his retired combat dog, who after a catastrophic accident deep in the Alaskan wilderness attempts to return to civilization.

David Ayer and Damien Chazelle are Best Suited to Make ‘Heart of the Beast’

From the premise of Heart of the Beast, it seems like a thrilling story with an emotional core, highlighting the adjustment issues military people face after serving. The film makes perfect sense for Ayer to helm as he often shows his appreciation for the military and veterans on social media and previously directed World War II pic Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and more as members of an American tank crew fighting in Nazi Germany. The movie was a commercial hit as well as showed Ayer’s attention to detail while handling sensitive topics. Ayer is coming fresh off the success of the surprise hit The Beekeeper starring Jason Statham, the movie has a 71 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating with positive reviews and grossed $152.6 million worldwide on a budget of $40 million.

Chazelle burst on the map with his critically acclaimed feature Whiplash starring Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, which was highly appreciated for its screenplay, direction, sound, and performances. He went on to make the musical La La Land starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, which has a special place in fans’ hearts and was critically acclaimed. He went on to helm the 2022 feature Babylon with an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and more, however, the movie failed to impress the audience and bombed at the box office.

Together Ayer’s sensibilities and Chazelle’s vision is the right mix of talent that Heart of the Beast needs to keep the audience glued to their seats. The movie will further elevate when the cast is in place. Ayer and Chris Long will produce the feature under their Cedar Park Entertainment banner while Chazelle and Olivia Hamilton are producing the film under their Wild Chickens Productions banner as part of their first look deal with Paramount Pictures.