A new biopic of British pop star Robbie Williams is on the way in which he’s portrayed as a monkey. No, really, a monkey. Watch the trailer below.
Entitled Better Man, the upcoming film tells story of the rambunctious rise of Williams. The artist voices himself, though is visually presented as a CGI monkey for the duration of the teaser trailer and, the entire film as well.
“I asked you if you were an animal, how would you see yourself? In your own words, you would refer to being dragged up on stage to perform like a monkey,” director Micheal Gracey said in a featurette, addressing Williams directly. “I immediately thought portraying you not as we see you, but how you see yourself… I am going to see you and relate to you in a way that is going to be more engaging than yet another musical biopic.”
Directed by Gracey, who previously helmed The Greatest Showman and the P!NK documentary All I Know So Far, Better Man also has a cast rounded out by Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, and Raechelle Banno, among others. It’s set to screen in limited theaters this Christmas (Wednesday, December 25th), with a wider distribution following on January 17th, 2025.
Williams has long been known for his chaotic public image, from telling fellow British musician Damon Albert to “remove a few ribs and give himself a nosh” to his neighborly feud with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
As far as his music career is concerned, between his time in the pop group Take That and his solo work, Williams is one of the best selling British artists of all time. In fact, no British solo artist has sold more albums in the United Kingdom than Williams. His most recent releases include his 2020 Christmas album, The Christmas Present, and 2022’s XXV compilation.