Brad Pitt news
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The gist
Brad Pitt will serve as Grand Marshal at Bristol Night Race on Sept.
The moves show a star taking his new film to the middle of the country, not just Hollywood.
Background
Pitt's new adventure thriller 'Heart of the Beast' is getting its global premiere at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee, on Sept. 16, with an additional exclusive premiere at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena on Sept. 18. Pitt personally pushed for the premiere to be held outside New York and Los Angeles, asking for an outdoor event because tracking showed the film's core audience is in the middle of the country. He is also serving as co-Grand Marshal at NASCAR's Bristol Night Race on Sept. 19, an event tied to honoring conservation, veterans and first responders. The activity comes after his Formula One movie 'F1: The Movie' and ahead of the new film's release.
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026NASCAR announced Brad Pitt will serve as Grand Marshal at the Bristol Night Race on Sept. 19.
- Sep 9, 2026Page Six exclusively reported that Paramount Pictures' 'Heart of the Beast' will hold its global premiere at Tennessee's FirstBank Amphitheater on Sept. 16.
- Sep 10, 2026The city announced the premiere at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.; Pitt was also confirmed as co-Grand Marshal for the Bristol Night Race on Sept. 19.
- Sep 10, 2026Nashville was noted as gaining traction in the film and TV industry as the world premiere of 'Heart of the Beast' will be held at Franklin's FirstBank Amphitheater on Sept. 16.
- Sep 11, 2026Thunder Ridge Nature Arena announced it will host an exclusive premiere of 'Heart of the Beast' on Sept. 18.
- Sep 11, 2026Brad Pitt said AI could help save mid-budget movies.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops said they are proud to host the event and share the movie with families across the Ozarks and beyond, noting Pitt's role in 'A River Runs Through It' helped inspire appreciation for fly-fishing and conservation.
- Analysts
- Page Six reported that Pitt personally lobbied for the premiere to be away from NY and LA, asking for an outdoor event because box office tracking shows the film's core audience is in the middle of the country.
- Expert
- Brad Pitt said he heard an AI song that was 'pretty damn good' but noted it had a repetitive nature and is not the same as hearing a person's voice, calling AI a 'very interesting experiment' that could help save mid-budget movies.
Still unverified
Sources told Page Six that the premiere locale had little to do with Paramount's potential move and was actually a request from Pitt himself; the FirstBank Amphitheater was subsequently chosen by Paramount global publicity EVP David Waldman's team, sources say. These claims are single-source and not officially confirmed.