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> Better Man • Robbie Williams Biopic (2024)
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Sydney11
post 28th February 2024, 08:54 PM
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Paramount Sets 'Naked Gun' Remake for 2025 Release, Dates Robbie Williams Musical 'Better Man'

Paramount has dated several of their upcoming live-action features, including a Liam Neeson-starring remake of "The Naked Gun" and the Robbie Williams-centric musical "Better Man."

Set for July, the still untitled "Naked Gun" remake sees Akiva Schaffer direct and executive produce. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand are listed as screenwriters alongside Schaffer. The trio previously worked on the Emmy-winning film "Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers," which premiered on Disney+ in 2022. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins will produce via their company Fuzzy Door.

The "Naked Gun" franchise, which spawned three films between 1988 and 1994 followed Frank Drebin (originally played by Leslie Nielsen) and was a send-up of popular crime dramas and films noir. It's unknown how closely this new iteration, with Neeson in the Nielsen role, will follow the original Jim Abrahams and Zucker brothers films.

Meanwhile, Michael Gracey's follow-up to "The Greatest Showman," the Robbie Williams original musical "Better Man," nabs a prime Christmas day release date. Paramount Pictures paid $25 million for the rights to the film about the British pop star in early February. Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole and Gracey penned the script. Paul Currie, Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Jules Daly and Craig McMahon will produce. It's still not known what the plot of the movie will be specifically.

The studio has also dated the movie "Novacaine," starring Jack Quaid, with a March release. That film, directed by Robert Olsen and Dan Berk, is described as "a high concept action movie about a sheltered bank executive (Quaid) with a rare genetic condition that prevents him from feeling pain. When his bank is robbed and one of his co-workers (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped, he is forced to act and turn his greatest liability into his greatest strength."
The Dakota Fanning-starring "Vicious" is now set to debut in August. Bryan Bertino, director of "The Strangers," takes the helm on this. The story follows a young woman (Fanning) who must spend the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a disturbing rabbit hole contained inside a gift left for her by a mysterious admirer.

"Naked Gun" hits theaters July 18, 2025; "Better Man" will debut December 25, 2024 with a wide release on January 17, 2025; "Novacaine" premieres March 14, 2025 and "Vicious" on August 8, 2025.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/other/para...man/ar-BB1j3S0c


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 28th February 2024, 08:55 PM
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Sydney11
post 7th March 2024, 08:34 AM
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After much anticipation, Paramount has confirmed Robbie Williams' biopic Better Man will be released in late 2024.

The production company announced in February 2024 that the movie will be released in America on December 25, and the UK on January 17, 2025.

Robbie Williams is one of the biggest selling UK artists of all time. The singer from Stoke's life story will be played out on the silver screen in a big-budget biopic entitled Better Man.

Robbie Williams and Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey, who directed the box-office smash The Greatest Showman, are in charge of the project and cast and crew have been spotted filming iconic scenes from the star's life on the streets of London. Robbie fans were given the chance to appear in the film in November 2022, when Robbie filmed two shows at London's Royal Albert Hall for the movie.

With news that the movie is well on its way, we bring you everything you need to know about the former Take That star's film's plot, cast, soundtrack, release date and more.

The film has been billed as 'a musical fantasy' and is being filmed in the Docklands Studios in Melbourne throughout 2022, and in the UK in 2023.

Back in December 2021, director Michael Gracey made an official announcement that the Robbie Williams film was being made. "To tell Robbie Williams’s beautiful, distinct story, back home, in my own city, is a dream come true," he enthused. "There is a creative energy that burns across the Melbourne film industry, and I know this movie will thrive here." Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, and Gracey wrote the film's screenplay together and the Better Man's producers are Paul Currie, Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Jules Daly, and Craig McMahon.

In typical Robbie Williams style, the singer hasn't held back in revealing the ups and downs behind the making of the film. Speaking about the biopic, Robbie said: "The thing is about films is that it is a wonder anything gets made. "Everything gets held up in a bottleneck. It is always, 'This person says no and this person says yes and this person is offended and this person is not offended enough.' It is agents and lawyers."

Robbie Williams is set to star as himself in the new movie about his life. The Stoke legend will take the lead role and British actor Jonno Davies, 29, who has been spotted dancing on London's Regent Street dressed as the star – plays the younger version of Robbie.

Actor Jake Simmance plays Robbie's Take That bandmate Gary Barlow, alongside Liam Head playing Howard Donald, Jesse Hyde as Mark Owen and Chase Vollenweider playing Jason Orange. Steve Pemberton plays his dad Peter, while Alison Steadman plays mum Betty.


Insiders are being secretive about what will appear on the soundtrack to the Robbie Williams movie. With smash hits including 'Angels', 'She's The One', 'Supreme', 'Feel', 'Rock DJ' and many more to choose from, producers may be struggling to reduce them down to just a few! Speaking to Deadline in 2021, Gracey confirmed the songs will be adapted for the film.

“All Robbie’s songs will be re-sung, for the emotion of the moment,” he said. "If he’s in the depths of despair, he’s not going to sing a song as cabaret flamboyant showmanship; it’s going to be broken, acapella, stripped down, because that’s where he is emotionally. In moments of pure joy, you’ll get songs sung in this whirlwind of hysteria. "So essentially every song in the film, Robbie will sing, but it will be performed for the emotion of that moment, and that scene.”

After much anticipation, Paramount has confirmed Robbie Williams' biopic Better Man will be released in late 2024.
The production company announced in February 2024 that the movie will be released in America on December 25, and the UK on January 17, 2025.

The film, which started production in May 2022, has not yet had its trailer release, but should be coming very soon.

Watch this space...

https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/robbie-...ease-date-cast/


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 7th March 2024, 08:35 AM
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Sydney11
post 21st April 2024, 07:58 AM
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This post has been edited by Sydney11: 21st April 2024, 08:05 AM
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Laura130262
post 21st April 2024, 11:14 PM
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I wonder what they mean when they say it's nothing like you're expecting? thinking.gif

I am intrigued...
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Sydney11
post 22nd April 2024, 04:35 PM
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QUOTE(Laura130262 @ 22nd April 2024, 12:14 AM) *
I wonder what they mean when they say it's nothing like you're expecting? thinking.gif

I am intrigued...



Me also Laura , sounds promising smile.gif
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elisabeth1974
post 3rd June 2024, 05:20 PM
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What do you think the pre promotion of the biopic will start? Do you think the album will be out before or afterwards which would mean 2025? Any magic glass ball ideas?
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Laura130262
post 3rd June 2024, 11:52 PM
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QUOTE(elisabeth1974 @ before the film is out.3rd June 2024, 06:20 PM) *
What do you think the pre promotion of the biopic will start? Do you think the album will be out before or afterwards which would mean 2025? Any magic glass ball ideas?
'
I think the album will be promo'd prior to the film. That would make the most sense. sleep.gif
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Sydney11
post 23rd July 2024, 01:15 AM
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Better Man': Robbie Williams Musical Headed to Venice, Telluride and TIFF!

Of all the titles announced this morning by TIFF, the most surprising news has Michael Gracey's “Better Man” — a biopic musical about musician Robbie Williams — headed to Venice, Telluride and Toronto. How did that happen?

Despite my initial skepticism, it does look as though Paramount is committed to turning this one into a major awards player. Of course, this could all just be for nothing, and the film turns out to be fluff, but it’s quite telling that the three major fall festivals have all taken a liking to it.

The film, starring Williams as himself, with Jonno Davies playing the younger version, and directed by Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), was set up for a Christmas release by Paramount, months ago, but nobody paid much attention to it.

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/7/22/...luride-and-tiff


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 23rd July 2024, 01:16 AM
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Better Man
post 27th July 2024, 11:14 AM
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While I'm still nervous about this movie, it's a very good sign to see Better Man as a member of the series important festivals.

So exciting to look at the festival programme and see this name!
It will be part of Gala Presentations at Toroto Festival.

https://tiff.net/films
https://tiff.net/events/better-man

Duration of the movie - 131m (Bohemian Rhapsody was 135 min)

Already in 1 month, come on!!
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Sydney11
post 27th July 2024, 07:41 PM
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QUOTE(Better Man @ 27th July 2024, 12:14 PM) *
While I'm still nervous about this movie, it's a very good sign to see Better Man as a member of the series important festivals.

So exciting to look at the festival programme and see this name!
It will be part of Gala Presentations at Toroto Festival.

https://tiff.net/films
https://tiff.net/events/better-man

Duration of the movie - 131m (Bohemian Rhapsody was 135 min)

Already in 1 month, come on!!



It's getting positive vibes so far & grabbing some attention which is good ....
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Laura130262
post 28th July 2024, 11:26 PM
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It seems to have taken such a long time to get here, but finally getting closer cheer.gif
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Sydney11
post 28th August 2024, 05:44 PM
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Robbie Williams biopic confirms UK release date

Better Man, the biopic based on the life and career of Robbie Williams, has finally landed its release date.

The film, which is being directed by The Greatest Showman's Michael Gracey, sees the singer play himself as his career is told with a "fantastical" approach, tracing his roots all the way through his time with boyband Take That as well as his own successful solo career.

After many years in the works, it seems that Better Man finally has a release date, with the musical being pencilled in for December 26 for both the UK and Ireland as well as Australia (via Tom Linay on X/Twitter).

In addition to Williams, the stacked cast for Better Man includes Inside No. 9's Steve Pemberton, Gavin & Stacey'1s Alison Steadman, Justified star Damon Herriman and Jonno Davies, who will play a younger version of the singer.

Gracey, who also directed a documentary on musician Pink, previously spoke about Better Man with Deadline back in 2021, sharing that the portrayal of its central character would differ from previous music biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman.
"It's this fantastical story, and I want to represent it in its harsh reality all the way to these moments of pure fantasy," he said. "Unlike some people who were born prodigies or geniuses and you follow the narrative of the world catching up to their brilliance, this isn't that story.

"Robbie is that Everyman, who just dreamed big and followed those dreams and they took him to an incredible place. Because of that, his [story] is an incredibly relatable [one]. He's not the best singer, or dancer, and yet, he managed to sell 80 million records worldwide."

"You can relate to the guy who doesn't see himself as having any extraordinary talent, even though of course, he does. What he did have is the will, vision and confidence to say, 'I'm going to pursue my dream.'

"For us as an audience, it's a window into the world, of what if we just went for it and chased that impossible dream that so many of us put to one side,” he said, adding that Williams' songs would be "re-sung for the emotion of the moment."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/new...id=BingNewsVerp


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 28th August 2024, 05:44 PM
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Laura130262
post 28th August 2024, 11:15 PM
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Thanks Tess - Boxing Day it is then smile.gif
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Sydney11
post 29th August 2024, 08:53 AM
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QUOTE(Laura130262 @ 29th August 2024, 12:15 AM) *
Thanks Tess - Boxing Day it is then smile.gif



Yes, not sure I will get there that day though unsure.gif
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WhoOdyssey
post 29th August 2024, 08:56 AM
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I'm surprised we haven't had a trailer yet!
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Sydney11
post 29th August 2024, 04:32 PM
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Robbie Williams film Better Man could be the craziest music biopic ever


Better Man makes complete sense as a movie proposition. Music biopics are big business in the era of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, and there aren't many British music icons bigger than Robbie Williams. All they had to do was find an actor to play Robbie, pen a script around his up-and-down career journey, and then watch the cash roll in when the movie debuts in UK cinemas on Boxing Day. But that's not what Better Man is, if early reports are to be believed. Better Man, directed by The Greatest Showman's musical specialist Michael Gracey, sounds like it's going to entirely up-end the biopic format, starting with the decision to portray Williams through the medium of a CGI monkey.

It should be said that we don't know for sure about the monkey. Deadline reported this idea way back in 2021 but, since then, it hasn't always been mentioned in stories about the production. In more recent articles, we've heard euphemistic descriptions of the film taking a "fantastical" approach and delivering "a very original exercise in storytelling". They're almost certainly talking about the monkey. Notably, Peter Jackson's company Wētā FX lists Better Man as an upcoming production on its website. Given their simian experience on Jackson's King Kong and the recent Planet of the Apes movies, they'd be a prime choice for a project like this. Gracey, too, has form given the fact he was a VFX artist before making the transition to directing. It's not like Williams is beyond this sort of stuff either. In his 2002 track Me and My Monkey, he used the idea of a monkey to represent the way he acted while at the worst of his drug addiction.

In an interview with Deadline way back in 2021, Gracey said: "As for how we represent Robbie in the film, that bit is top secret. I want to do this in a really original way. I remember going to the cinema as a kid and there were films that blew me away and made me say as I sat there in the cinema, ‘I’ve never seen this before’. I just want the audience to have that feeling."

A recent edition of the Popbitch gossip column claimed that American audiences were left "completely bemused" by a screening of an early cut in LA. They wrote: "It seems the cut of the film they were treated to contained no explanation whatsoever as to why Robbie is a monkey while the rest of the cast is entirely human." Of course, we don't know any of this for sure until the film's first official screening, which is scheduled to take place in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. We will almost certainly get a trailer for the movie around that time too, revealing the bizarre truth about Williams and the monkey ahead of the December 2024 release. In the meantime, there is plenty that we know. Williams is playing himself — monkey or otherwise — with Jonno Davies as his younger counterpart, while Inside No. 9's Steve Pemberton will play the star's father. Kate Mulvany is portraying Williams' mother, while Gavin and Stacey star Alison Steadman will be his beloved grandma Betty.

Williams will perform several of his most famous songs in the movie, including in concert scenes filmed during some of the star's 2022 gigs at the Royal Albert Hall. But if it's true that he will spend at least part of the film in the guise of a CGI monkey, this could be very bizarre indeed. The genius of Robbie Williams is in his status as a pure showman. He has confessed in the past that he is neither the best singer or the best dancer around, but he is a truly electric performer possessed with immense on-stage charisma. It's no surprise in that case that he wants to do something truly different with the movie version of his story.
And let's face it, very few of us want to see a straightforward music biopic any more. In fact, the best example of the genre in recent years was 2022's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which Daniel Radcliffe played the titular accordion enthusiast as a playboy badass who saved Madonna from the clutches of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

These music figures have lived their entire life in the spotlight, so it's refreshing to see them take a more inventive approach to telling their stories on the big screen. And if that means Robbie Williams is played by a CGI monkey in Better Man, sign me up for an opening day ticket. Merry Christmas to us all.

https://www.aol.co.uk/entertainment/robbie-...7zyadrDfO1IMue4


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 29th August 2024, 04:32 PM
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Better Man
post 30th August 2024, 08:00 PM
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Today!!!

It has also been announced that Better Man will premiere tonight (August 30) at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, with more showings over the weekend.
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Better Man
post 30th August 2024, 08:05 PM
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https://www.telluridefilmfestival.org/

There will be 3 screens for Better Man during this festival.
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Sydney11
post 31st August 2024, 06:45 AM
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Pharrell Is a Lego and Robbie Williams Is a Monkey in Two Music Biopics Aiming for Oscar Attention
'Piece by Piece' and 'Better Man' had their world premieres at the Telluride Film Festival and hope to make a splash at the Oscars


Legendary musicians Pharrell Williams and Robbie Williams — unrelated despite their shared surname — are each choosing to tell their life stories through unconventional mediums.

Pharrell’s story is brought to life in Focus Features’ “Piece by Piece,” directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, known for his documentary “20 Feet from Stardom.” The film uses Lego bricks to depict Pharrell’s early life, focusing on his roots in Virginia Beach and his rise to fame as one half of the hip-hop and R&B production duo The Neptunes. Pharrell was on the ground in Colorado for the Patron’s Brunch on Friday morning, mingling with high-profile guests, including some AMPAS voters. “I’m so excited to be at a festival that doesn’t show many animated movies, but they chose mine,” he told Variety.

The film features interviews with many of Pharrell’s contemporaries — including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake and Busta Rhymes — each depicted in Lego form. Focus Features is marketing “Piece by Piece” as an animated music biopic, seeking awards recognition in the animated feature category. However, the film will also be submitted in the documentary feature category, despite the Documentary Branch’s historical reluctance to embrace films that use re-creation scenes or unconventional storytelling methods.
Pharrell narrates much of the film, recounting childhood memories brought to life through animation. The film’s innovative approach recalls the 2021 documentary “The Rescue,” which also used limited re-creation scenes but was ultimately snubbed by the Documentary Branch. “Piece by Piece” will also be vying for attention in other Oscar categories. While Lego movies have been snubbed in the past, the Academy allows members outside the Animation Branch to vote for the nominees. With its robust soundtrack featuring hits from the ’90s and 2000s, the film is expected to resonate with millennials and fans of the genre and has potential for commercial success. The movie includes five original songs, with the closing track — co-written by Pharrell and sharing the film’s title — poised as the likely submission for the best original song category.

Focus is also mounting a best picture campaign for the movie, and animation is a medium aching to be recognized in the Oscars’ top category. And it doesn’t have to be only one either.

Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures’ musical biopic “Better Man,” directed by Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), tells the story of British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, but with an unexpected twist — Robbie is depicted as a CGI monkey. The film bowed at the Chuck Jones Theater, with Robbie Williams and Michael Gracey introducing. He also appeared at the brunch, where he described his life to Variety as “f***ed-up,” but incredibly eager to share his story with the world.

Boy, does the film pack a wallop, following the singer’s humble beginnings as one part of the boy band Take That.

As expected with music biopics, Williams battles fame, adultery and addiction. However, Williams bares his soul, voicing the walking and talking ape as if it was pulled straight out of a “Planet of the Apes” movie. In terms of its awards prospects, the tearjerking crowdpleaser has the makings of previous Oscar embraced biopics such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Walk the Line.” The crafts, particularly visual effects, sound and production design are worthy of major consideration. In addition, if you thought cinephiles were passionate about banging the drum for Andy Serkis’ turn in “The Lord of the Rings” films, there’s a strong case to be made for Williams’ impeccable voice work, as he unapologetically lays it all out, injecting a raw and honest depiction of an artist who isn’t as well-known in the U.S. and can still be a discovery for the audience.

Artists are vulnerable this year, and we’re seeing a new, refreshing way to tell their stories.



https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/piece-...key-1236125749/


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 31st August 2024, 06:45 AM
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Sydney11
post 31st August 2024, 06:52 AM
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In a Robbie Williams Biopic, the Star Is a C.G.I. Monkey. Take That.

The director Michael Gracey hopes Americans will finally get the British hitmaker, who’s depicted warts, fur and all in “Better Man,” debuting at the Telluride Film Festival.

Dance, monkey, dance. Sing, monkey, sing. The British pop star Robbie Williams has always felt like a performing monkey. He has described himself that way when remembering eras of his life: his days as a young boy, trying to prove to his father that he had the “It factor” required to become a star; when he was a teenager and landed his dream job as the fifth member of the boy band Take That; and finally as an adult trying to start a solo career.

Recent biopics of the band Queen and Elton John have proved that audiences are willing to taking a fantastical ride through pop-stars’ common trajectories of rise and fall and rise again. But will they be so amenable when the protagonist is played by a computer-generated monkey?

Yes, you read that correctly. In the coming musical biopic “Better Man,” the character of Robbie Williams is a chimp, though everyone else around him is human. It’s a leap that the director Michael Gracey, best known for the smash “The Greatest Showman,” is betting moviegoers will take, even those in the United States where Williams is hardly a name despite his international stardom.

The monkey, said Gracey, “was the thing for me that clicked, and it was also the thing that made the film near impossible to finance.”

His plan was to rely on the magicians at Weta FX (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) in New Zealand to design a computer-generated monkey, something similar to the process that turned Andy Serkis into Caesar in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise. For “Better Man,” the stage actor Jonno Davies wore the gray motion-capture suit for the entire production and was then rendered into simian form. For the chimp’s face, the eyes of the actual pop star were used.

This approach not only doubled the budget of the movie, but also seemed just too far afield for most backers. Multiple times, Gracey said, “I would sit down with financiers. They would say, ‘Director of “The Greatest Showman,” Robbie Williams. I couldn’t be more excited about this. How much do you think?’ And I would say, ‘Well, there’s just one thing: Robbie in the film is being portrayed by a monkey.’ And they would say, ‘Oh, yes, in some dream sequence, or he looks at his reflection and he sees himself as a monkey.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, the entire film.’ Their faces would just drop and they would say, ‘OK, well, this is the end of the meeting.’”

Gracey spent six years and all his political capital from the massive success of “The Greatest Showman,” which earned $435 million worldwide, to cobble together the money to make this fantastical musical featuring Williams’s music catalogue.
The film premiered Friday night at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado to a standing ovation. It will next appear at the Toronto International Film Festival in September ahead of its nationwide release from Paramount Pictures on Christmas Day. smile.gif

Williams, with his cheeky personality and self-described “punchable face,” was all aboard the monkey concept, Gracey said. “He grinned from ear to ear” when it was first presented to him. “He thought it was just so crazy that it was going to work,” he added.

And so from the first frame of the film to the last, Williams is portrayed by a monkey, first as a young childlike one with furry paws and outsized ears who doesn’t fit in at school and is desperate for the approval of his showman father; then as a rebellious boy-band monkey with dyed blond hair (just on his head) and a penchant for copious amounts of cocaine and alcohol; and finally as an adult monkey desperately trying to fight off his demons.
To Gracey, the gritty rendering of Williams’s life is made more heartbreaking with the monkey at the center, a helpless animal that he’s betting will elicit sympathy from the audience.

“I genuinely believe you actually feel more because he is a monkey,” he said. “When you watch a monkey doing drugs, it’s actually really hard to watch. We show it in a way that is messy — it makes you uncomfortable, and it’s meant to.”

Gracey explained that the character was self-medicating instead of dealing with anxiety and depression, trying to numb himself, and then fighting back. The film “doesn’t hold back the extreme condition that he was in mentally at that stage of his life,” the director added.

Paramount, which has been developing another original musical with Gracey since 2021, was given an early look at the film and took to it immediately.

“I had no idea what I was really going to watch,” said Brian Robbins, co-chief executive of Paramount Global, who watched an early, unfinished cut of the film last November with his film team, and ended up spending $25 million for the North American rights. “I think even before the lights came up you could feel this sort of energy,” he recalled. “When someone does the unimaginable, it’s the most exciting thing in this business. I think ultimately, that’s what audiences want to experience and we experienced that firsthand — which with a jaded group like ours, is kind of hard.”
Two years ago at the Cannes Film Festival, Gracey showed 20 minutes of the film to his loyal cadre of financiers, and he brought Williams with him for the introduction. Gracey spoke, but all eyes were locked on Williams. And it was in that moment that Gracey felt that he was onto something with this grand anthropoid experiment.

“That’s what the monkey does. It’s the truest depiction in a film of what it is to be a star, because we all just stare at the monkey,” he said, adding, “They walk into the room, they don’t open their mouth, and everyone is staring.”
As for Williams, he said at the premiere that the first time he watched the film, he was processing it. He continued, “The second time I felt sad for Nicole” Appleton, his ex-fiancée who was forced by a band manager to have an abortion. “And then I felt sad for me. I’ve been through a lot.”

The artist, now 50, has sold 77 million albums worldwide and won 18 Brit Awards, the English equivalent of the Grammys. Yet, in the United States he is virtually unknown. This movie may change that, at least when it comes to his music.

To Gracey, drawing moviegoers completely unfamiliar with Williams will be the clearest mark of success.
“The people I really want to see this film are the people who have no interest in Robbie Williams,” Gracey said. “That, to me, is the truest victory. That is where the monkey transcends the narrative.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/movies/r...man-monkey.html


This post has been edited by Sydney11: 31st August 2024, 06:53 AM
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