Australian director Tyler Atkins has created an MMA drama called Beast, which is about family, identity and masculinity as much as it is about survival inside the cage. The film was shot across Australia and Thailand and features Russell Crowe as a battle-hardened trainer (Sammy) and Daniel MacPherson as a conflicted fighter (Patton James). It is also about a working-class fighter torn between who he is and who he's expected to be. Despite its complex production and production, Atkins credits his personal philosophy to shaping its themes. Beast opens in U.S. theaters on April 10 and Australia on April 23.