@FilmIndoSource

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53m

Michael Gracey’s ‘BETTER MAN’ will be screened virtually at Jakarta World Cinema 2025 on KlikFilm. A musical biopic of Robbie Williams as a monkey.

Film Indo Source (@FilmIndoSource) / X

Standard Issue

@StandardIssueUK

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38m

🎥" It’s Robbie Williams... but he’s a chimp! But is there anything more to Michael Gracey’s biopic jukebox musical drama about the British pop phenomenon?

@thatdunleavy

@yozzie_osman

and

@MicksterNoonan

talk it out. Listen here: https://buff.ly/qgajrUj

Standard Issue on X: "🎥 FLICKING: Better Man 🎥 It’s Robbie Williams... but he’s a chimp! But is there anything more to Michael Gracey’s biopic jukebox musical drama about the British pop phenomenon? @thatdunleavy, @yozzie_osman and @MicksterNoonan talk it out. Listen here: https://t.co/zyCYNgZxh9 https://t.co/uSJoVz23cL" / X

Listen to episode here Flicking #65: Better Man - Standard Issue Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

My favourite video of the Better Man promo, they both look amazing ❤️ . Pamela is a big supporter of the independent movie industry .

It's in English

Javi Blanco

@BlancoParamio

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1h

Colossal. A risky and sincere biopic starring the same Robbie Williams. One of the films I have enjoyed the most this year

Another good words :)

Unstoppable :)

https://x.com/matthew_leal/status/1965427602841371027

Josep Cabanas

@Banetes

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11 a.m.

Replying to

@Banetes

@AppleTV

and 2 others

133 #BetterMan (2025)★★★★★

Dare biopic on Robbie Williams (I'm talking about a monkey!) shows his fears, addictions and loves without any filter, under the MAGNIFICENT direction of Michael Gracey, with a BRUTAL editing and the best musical numbers of the year! FILM LICULOT!

What are your thoughts some months into the Better Man movie and streaming? Has it at the end been a moderate success? No success at all? Has it influenced anything or has it been irrelevant?

Don't like the fact that Robbie and his team almost forgot about the movie.

His mgmt is very lazy.

Not Tim, David time, of course.

I swear even me did more for the movie in 2 days in Almaty than them in 4 months.

Not sure we got any big impact from streaming. But again, everybody like this when they seen it.

On 14/09/2025 at 14:07, elisabeth1974 said:

What are your thoughts some months into the Better Man movie and streaming? Has it at the end been a moderate success? No success at all? Has it influenced anything or has it been irrelevant?It may not have been commercially successful but all the

On 14/09/2025 at 14:07, elisabeth1974 said:

What are your thoughts some months into the Better Man movie and streaming? Has it at the end been a moderate success? No success at all? Has it influenced anything or has it been irrelevant?

It may not have been commercially successful but it has been well recognised as a really good movie. I would love to hear Michael Gracey's opinion on it now . He is currently working on a musical about Luciano Pavarotti .

This gif is great 😄

Better Man: the crazy Robbie Williams biopic on Canal+

Published by Julie de Sortiraparis, Caroline de Sortiraparis · Updated on September 29, 2025 at 11:26 a.m.

Better Man, Michael Gracey's musical biopic of Robbie Williams, airs on Canal+ on October 10, 2025 at 9:10pm. A film as audacious as it is moving.

Following in the footsteps of Elton John, Edith Piaf, Claude François, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse, the life of another artist with an impressive musical career is about to be brought to the big screen. Called Better Man, this biopic is dedicated to British star Robbie Williams.

Better Man trailer

The trailer for Better Man reveals a biopic as unexpected as it is spectacular, in which Robbie Williams is embodied by a digital monkey. An audacious project in the artist's image.

Synopsis: The rise of British singer/songwriter Robbie Williams. After becoming a star with the Boy Band, Take That, in the 1990s, he gradually plunged into artificial paradise, before returning to solo success in 1997 with the song "Angels".

But be warned, this biopic promises to be particularly unusual. The film's director, Michael Gracey, has chosen a CGI monkey to play the singer's role! It's a quirky way of evoking the life and career of this immense artist, who made his debut in the 1990s with Take That.

Australian Michael Gracey is no stranger to directing. In 2017, he directed the musical film The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Michelle Williams. In 2021, for Amazon Prime Video, he turned his attention to the singer Pink through the documentary film P!nk: All I Know So Far, which follows the singer on her"Beautiful Trauma" world tour in 2019.

In 2025, the director and visual effects artist honors Robbie Williams in a quirky biopic, in which the main protagonist is represented by a computer-generated chimpanzee. Behind the monkey is actor Jonno Davies.

" I know what you're thinking. What's up with the monkey? I'm Robbie Williams. I'm one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But I've always seen myself as a little less evolved," explains Robbie Wiiliams in a first trailer unveiled by Paramount Pictures.

Our opinion of Better Man:

Michael Gracey 's Better Man is a masterful, inventive work tracing the life and career of Robbie Williams. Between poignant introspection and spectacular musical numbers, this biopic revisits the codes of the genre to offer a deeply moving and visually audacious cinematic experience. Jonno Davies, who plays Robbie Williams in the metaphorical form of a sign, delivers an original, captivating performance, halfway between intimate confession and flamboyant celebration.

At the heart of Robbie Williams ' quest for identity is a tumultuous relationship with his father, Peter, played by Steve Pemberton. A failed artist obsessed with fame, Peter abandons his family in pursuit of success that will always elude him. This abandonment has a profound effect on Robbie, who grows up with the idea that fame is the only way to attract his father's attention and fill the void left by his absence.

Steve Pemberton's nuanced performance does justice to this complex character, part disillusioned dreamer, part distant father figure. The scenes where Peter and Robbie cross paths, full of tension and hope, reveal the artist's inner struggle, torn between the desire to succeed in order to satisfy his father and the anger born of his abandonment. These interactions enrich the story, adding an extra dimension to Robbie's emotional trajectory, while exploring the intergenerational weight of failure and unfulfilled expectations.

One of the film's most striking choices is the bold portrayal of Robbie Williams as an expressive monkey. This transformation, which may seem surprising at first glance, turns out to be a subtle metaphor for exploring the artist's inner struggles with fame, addiction and the weight of his public image. This offbeat symbolism reinforces the character's humanity and fragility, making the story universal despite its fantastical overtones.

The film doesn't just glorify Robbie Williams' career. It also focuses on his personal relationships, notably with Nigel Martin-Smith, the visionary manager played by an exceptional Damon Herriman. Martin-Smith, the creator of Take That, is portrayed here as a complex mentor, oscillating between manipulator and builder, whose impact on Robbie is as striking as it is contradictory. The dynamic between the two characters offers moments of intense tension and emotion, illuminating the shadowy areas behind the spotlight.

In the role of Robbie's grandmother, Alison Steadman brings a welcome warmth and tenderness, embodying one of the singer's emotional pillars. Her presence lends a tangible humanity to the story, anchoring emotions in an authentic family relationship. The scenes between Robbie and his grandmother stand out for their sincerity, offering moments of respite and reflection amid the hustle and bustle of celebrity.

True to his style, Michael Gracey 's staging is grandiose, turning each musical number into a visual work of art. Robbie Williams' signature songs, such as She's the One and Take That hits, are organically integrated into the narrative, magnifying the major milestones in his life. The Take That scene, on their iconic song Rock DJ, filmed in an audacious sequence shot in the streets of London, is a true moment of cinematic bravura, where the band's energy and exuberance explode on screen. Similarly, the duet danced on a boat with She's the One captures the grace and poetry of his early relationship with Nicole Appleton.

Visually, the film alternates between glittering spotlights and darker, more intimate sequences, finely illustrating the contrasts between the artist's public and private life. Photography and lighting play a key role in the film's immersion, as does the sound mix, which places music at the heart of the cinematic experience.

Beneath its air of dazzling spectacle, Better Man offers a lucid look at celebrity and its excesses. It explores addictions, loneliness, paternal relationships and the sacrifices associated with success, while paying tribute to the resilience of the artist. This universal discourse on the quest for identity resonates far beyond the story of Robbie Williams, offering a pertinent reflection on the star system and the relationship with the public in a world of excessive media coverage.

The character of Robbie Williams is surprising in his ability to blend vulnerability and exuberance. He reveals himself with disarming sincerity, while taking an amused, critical look at his own career. His interpretation, supported by outstanding performances from Damon Herriman and Alison Steadman, lifts the film to a level of emotion and authenticity rare in the genre.

Better Man is no ordinary musical biopic. It transcends the genre with its artistic audacity, emotional depth and dazzling direction. Michael Gracey succeeds in the difficult challenge of combining spectacle and introspection, delivering a film that will touch both Robbie Williams fans and fans of great human stories.

With Better Man, Michael Gracey delivers a masterful and unforgettable work. This daring and poignant musical biopic is a true celebration of music, resilience and human complexity. A masterpiece that will leave a lasting mark on the landscape of musical biopics, and will touch the heart of all who venture upon it.

Better Man: the Robbie Williams biopic on Canal+ on October 10 - Sortiraparis.com

Very good technical talk.

@SophE_official

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27m

EXCLUSIVE: Producer of Robbie Williams' #BetterMan monkey biopic reacts to recent success after box office flop.

Better Man Producer Celebrates Cult Musical’s New Life On Social Media

Better Man’s producer celebrates the film’s growing cult status, crediting social media buzz for giving the Robbie Williams musical a surprising second life. Better Man tells the life story of British pop icon Robbie Williams, who is portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee. Directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film explores Williams’ personal struggles and complicated relationship with fame.

Better Man was released on 25 December 2024, grossing just $22.5 million worldwide on a $110 million budget, making it a box office bomb. That being said, the film left a strong impression, with Better Man earning a positive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its initial lukewarm reception, Better Man has found surprising momentum post-release, particularly online.

Now, in an interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley for Play Dirty, producer Jules Daly reflected on Better Man’s growing cult status, describing the movie as “pretty special.” Daly echoed the sentiment that the film was underseen at the time, but expressed optimism over Better Man’s rising popularity on social media. Check out what Jules Daly had to say below:

[...] I think it will have a life that exists past when we release the film. I think it didn't quite find its audience, but you know what? You make a movie and it's out there and people can find it and there is a new buzz around that movie. And Michael Gracey's an incredible filmmaker, and Robbie was a hoot to work with.

Why 2024’s Better Man Was A Box Office Flop

Paramount Pictures

Despite its surprisingly high production value, the global name recognition of Robbie Williams, and its Christmas Day release, Better Man barely managed to make 20% of its budget, making it a box office bomb. There are many reasons why the film failed commercially, including its crowded theatrical window, and the lack of strong marketing outside the UK — Robbie Williams’ home.

Movie	Box Office	RT Score
The Greatest Showman (2017)	$469 million	56% Tomatometer, 86% Popcornmeter
Better Man (2024)	$22.5 million	89% Tomatometer, 90% Popcornmeter

As a comeback for The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, Better Man's shortcomings are even more notable. With a budget of $84 million ($16 million less than Better Man), The Greatest Showman grossed $469 million. Therefore, even though Gracey brought visual flair to Better Man, its unique narrative choice of using a CGI monkey, and Robbie Williams’ narrow audience didn’t help.

What Better Man’s Cult Following Could Mean For Its Legacy

Image via Paramount Pictures

There’s something special about a film that quietly sticks with people, and Daly’s remarks affirm that Better Man may have missed its mark at the box office, but it's poised to become a beloved cult classic. It may not have been a commercial juggernaut, but Better Man has struck a chord with viewers on streaming, according to recent numbers.

Sometimes, movies need time to find their audience, and social media is the perfect stage for Better Man to shine. This kind of rediscovery is especially common with musicals, as their themes can create deep, lasting fanbases. As viewers continue to find the film, it’s likely Better Man will continue to grow in both popularity and critical re-evaluation post-release.

9.0/10

Better Man's Surprising Second Life: Producer Jules Daly On Cult Musical's Social Media Buzz

@sbiodore

·

4 p.m.

Really not bad at all the film #BetterMan🔥" I liked it a lot, even if I found it a bit long. Robbie Williams is very moving in it and his journey has been much more complex than it seems. The film is currently available on

@canalplus

Source https://www.youtube.com/@lindybeige

@ 45.08 Better Man gets a nice mention here

Link below :

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