THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Robbie Williams’ musical biopic Better Man sees him portrayed as — wait for it — a CGI monkey throughout. No, really.
Based on the true story of Robbie’s life and directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. The film follows his journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boy band Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist — all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Discussing the film, director Gracey honed in on Robbie referring to himself as a monkey over and again. “Robbie would say things like, ‘I’m up the back dancing like a monkey.’ After a while, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to represent Robbie as a monkey in the film?’ Because Robbie is telling this story — and that’s how he sees himself.”
Williams, for those who don’t already know, is one of the most decorated music artists in the world, with six of the Top 100 best-selling albums in British history, a huge 85 million album sales worldwide, 14 U.K. No. 1 albums and a record 18 BRIT Awards — more than any other artist. In July he returned to Hyde Park in London for a critically acclaimed and sold-out headline show. In November 2023, Netflix released the four-part documentary series Robbie Williams, which hit the top spot in 22 different countries. Williams has raised £106 million to date for charity worldwide since co-founding Soccer Aid for UNICEF in 2006.”
