**Trader consensus centers on a $17–20 million opening for *Heart of the Beast* because pre-release tracking has consistently pointed to that mid-teens range for the Paramount survival thriller.** Brad Pitt’s star power and the emotional man-and-dog hook in David Ayer’s Alaskan wilderness story provide a solid floor, while competition from *Forgotten Island*, *Primetime*, and the second weekend of *Resident Evil* caps upside. Recent generally favorable reviews (Rotten Tomatoes in the high 80s to mid-90s, Metacritic around 68–69) reinforce expectations of decent word-of-mouth without dramatically shifting presale momentum ahead of the September 25 wide release. Historical comparables like Ayer’s prior mid-teens openers and similar titles such as *Dog* further anchor the market-implied probabilities around the $14–20 million bands.