There’s a moment early in Beast — a raw, pulse-quickening opening sequence when the film lights up the screen and tips its hat to what’s to come. Directed by Tyler Atkins and anchored by a career-defining performance from Daniel MacPherson, Beast plays like an MMA fight set in Rocky-land.
For MacPherson, the transformation into Patton James — an MMA fighter nicknamed “The Beast” — wasn’t just cosmetic.
“I don’t think anyone expected the guy who used to host Dancing with the Stars to play an MMA fighter called ‘The Beast,’” he tells The Hollywood Reporter with a grin that still carries a hint of disbelief. “So I knew I had something to prove — maybe to myself more than anyone else.”
MacPherson didn’t just train for the role — he disappeared into it. Over a three-year period marked by stalled financing and false starts, the actor used the uncertainty to his advantage, constructing the physical and psychological architecture of a fighter piece by piece.
The preparation began simply enough: a phone call to former Cronulla Sharks captain-turned-boxer Paul Gallen. From there, MacPherson worked with boxing coach Graham Shaw before branching into Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, training each discipline in isolation before combining them into a cohesive MMA skill set.
Then came Thailand.
Multiple stints in fight camps — where MacPherson deliberately kept his acting career under wraps —pushed him into unfamiliar territory. “I didn’t tell anyone I was an actor,” he says. “I just wanted to be another guy in the gym.”
By the time Beast was finally greenlit, MacPherson had built not just the physique, but had come as close as possible to developing the muscle memory and mindset of a professional fighter. “We’d had so many false starts that when it finally happened, it was like — this is it. We’re going all in.”
That commitment came at a cost.
During the film’s climactic fight sequence — shot over five punishing days — MacPherson tore his adductor muscle off the bone, fractured his pelvis, and broke his nose. Production didn’t stop.
“It was one of those situations where the makeup department was covering up my real injuries to add fake ones,” he laughs now. “You can’t fake that world. You have to put your body on the line. That’s what the sport demands.”
Director Tyler Atkins understood from the outset that Beast needed a visual identity that set it apart from genre predecessors. His solution came in the form of that opening four-minute sequence — a bravura piece of filmmaking that reframes the narrative before it has even begun.
Atkins took the original script and reimagined it, pitching a bold, kinetic introduction to Russell Crowe, who also stars as Patton’s trainer, Sammy, and served as a key creative force behind the film.
Crowe didn’t hesitate and ultimately earned a writer’s credit on the script alongside David Frigerio (Land of Bad, Crypto).
That sequence — shot during the first week of production — became the film’s calling card, used to sell Beast internationally over the next 12 months. It’s also where the film’s tone is forged: intimate, dangerous and emotionally volatile.
Crowe’s presence looms large over Beast, not just as a performer but as a collaborator. For MacPherson, the opportunity to go “toe-to-toe with Maximus himself” wasn’t lost.
“It elevates everything,” he says. “Every actor, every moment.”
What sets Beast apart from the glut of combat sports films is its refusal to stay inside the cage.
Yes, the fight sequences are visceral and unflinching, but Atkins and MacPherson are more interested in what happens outside the octagon — specifically, the domestic life of Patton James.
“The relationship with his family — that’s why I did the film,” MacPherson says. “I’m a father. My son’s turning six. That idea of being a provider, a protector, a role model — that’s the heart of it.”
It’s a sentiment that reframes the stakes. In Beast, every punch thrown carries consequences beyond the scoreboard. The violence is never abstract; it’s tethered to something deeply human.
“If you don’t get that right,” MacPherson continues, “no one’s going to care whether he wins or loses. But if those fights mean something outside the cage — that’s when it works.”
The film leans into that emotional terrain, drawing comparisons less to traditional fight fare like Rocky and more to character-driven dramas like The Wrestler.
“I wanted to approach this more immersively than anything I’ve done before,” adds MacPherson. “This was about pushing my acting into new territory.”
Daniel MacPherson in Tyler Atkins’ Beast.
Beast also serves as a showcase for a new generation of Australian screen talent, most notably singer-songwriter Amy Shark, who makes a striking impression in her acting debut as Sammy’s daughter and successor, Rose.
“She came in and delivered one of the most ferocious auditions I’ve ever seen,” MacPherson recalls. “She really wanted it. And it shows.”
On screen, Shark brings a raw, unpolished energy that complements the film’s aesthetic. It’s a performance that feels instinctive — and could mark the beginning of a parallel acting career.
“It won’t be the last time you see her on screen,” MacPherson offers.
Opposite him in the octagon is Bren Foster (Xavier Grau), a real-life martial artist and actor whose presence adds another layer of authenticity. For MacPherson, working with Foster required a different kind of humility.
“This was his world,” he says. “I had to step into it without ego and learn.”
Like many independent films, Beast endured a turbulent journey to production. Financing fell through multiple times. Industry strikes disrupted momentum. At one point, MacPherson stepped away entirely, returning to theatre and touring a stage production of The Woman in Black.
The shift couldn’t have been more stark.
“I went from 7% body fat and training three times a day to doing eight shows a week on stage,” he says. “When we wrapped, they told me I had ten weeks to get back into fight shape.”
He did it — again — losing 22 pounds in a matter of weeks, for the third time.
“It was brutal,” he admits. “But it felt like the movie was mirroring real life.”
With Beast poised to introduce MacPherson to a global audience, the actor is already looking ahead. The film marks a pivot point — not just in his career, but in his ambitions.
“I’m all in on film now,” he says. “Producing, financing, developing my own projects. This is where I want to be.”
The success of Beast is already opening doors in the U.S., where MacPherson plans to spend more time as his film career gathers momentum.
“It feels like the start of something,” he says. “Let’s go make movies with mates.”
Beast may arrive wearing the skin of a fight film, but underneath it’s something more reflective — a study of masculinity, responsibility and the cost of proving yourself.
For Daniel MacPherson, it’s a reinvention. And for Australian cinema, it’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful stories aren’t about winning the fight — they’re about why you stepped into the ring in the first place.
