MOVIE | Beast teaser with Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson – Patton James (Daniel MacPherson) once had all the hallmarks for greatness – before he walked away from it all.
Now a blue-collar husband and father on Sydney’s outskirts, he lives quietly with a past he’d rather forget. When his brother Malon (Mojean Aria) is left broken and debt-ridden after a savage ONE Championship bout, that quiet is shattered.
To avenge his brother and hold his family together, he must earn back the trust of grizzled veteran trainer Sammy (Russell Crowe) – and step back into the cage with the reigning champion who has been waiting years to finish what they started.
Directed by Tyler Atkins (Bosch & Rockit) and co-written by Atkins alongside David Frigerio (Land of Bad, The Signal) and Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe, Beast is a visceral, deeply personal sports drama shot across Sydney, Port Kembla, and at a live ONE Championship event in Bangkok before 10,000 fans.
Rooted in themes of redemption, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the primal will to survive, Beast delivers pulse-pounding action alongside a genuine emotional core that hits as hard as anything in the octagon.
Drawing on his own experiences with struggle and belonging, Atkins frames Patton’s journey not merely as a sports comeback but as a meditation on what it means to live with the weight of your past while still chasing who you want to be.
Shooting with super-speed lenses, handheld and steadicam work plus sweeping drone footage, he captures both the raw intimacy of a fractured family and the vast, unforgiving scale of the world pressing in on them. The hard Australian coastal landscapes and the charged atmosphere of Thailand mirror Patton’s internal battles as a man torn between the life he promised his wife and the fight refusing to die inside him.
“We couldn’t be more excited to unleash Beast on Australian audiences. This is furious, kinetic action entertainment with a powerhouse cast and I guarantee it’s going to knock people off their feet!”
— Kelly Rogers, Rialto Distribution, CEO
“From the outset, our aim was to create a truly theatrical experience that is bold, authentic, and visceral. Director Tyler Atkins is a master at blending heart and emotion with epic combat sports sequences, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience the ride together.”
— John Schwarz, Deeper Water Films, Producer
Beast boasts a standout Australian ensemble: Daniel MacPherson (Foundation, Land of Bad) anchors the film as Patton, bringing grounded intensity to a man carrying years of sacrifice and quiet grief.
Russell Crowe is commanding as Sammy, the trainer whose relationship with Patton embodies tough love, hard-won forgiveness, and the complex bonds between mentors and the fighters they shape. The cast also includes Luke Hemsworth (Westworld, Land of Bad), Mojean Aria (Shayda, The Correspondent), Kelly Gale (Plane, Uglies), former NRL star George Burgess (Land of Bad, Spartacus), Bren Foster (The Last Ship, Life After Fighting), Saphira Moran (The Only One), and – in her acting debut – multi-platinum award-winning artist, Amy Shark.
Redemption, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of family pulse through every frame. More than a fight drama, Beast is a reckoning with love, loss, and what we’re truly made of when everything is on the line.
Answer the bell for Tyler Atkins‘ bold and deeply felt Beast, starring Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson, screening in Australian cinemas from Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Media Release – Rialto
Link to Rialto HERE
TV Central Movie Previews HERE
MOVIE | Beast teaser with Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson
