Better Man

On 22 November 2024, Williams released the single "Forbidden Road", taken from the film's soundtrack; it peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singl.../20241129/7000/

Sorry for off-topic: Always wanted to hear any duet in any form between Will and Robbie... Yes, Mr Young is a great artist and very undarrated. Still his favourite song and video: hR4kZ8-qrFI

There are some really great posters have been released for December releases. 'Better Man' is in a good company. My faves are for 'Nosferatu', maybe because I'm waiting for this movie so much - this is my fave of movie season. The font makes sense. https://thefilmstage.com/posterized-december-2024/ Posterized December 2024: Nosferatu, The Brutalist, The End & More Jared Mobarak○December 6, 2024 Wild concept for the film aside (a biopic about Robbie Williams where he’s played by a motion-captured, CGI chimpanzee), Better Man’s (limited, December 25; wide, January 10) marketing campaign is effectively simple. The subject is a pop star who’s made a career in the spotlight of magazine covers and paparazzi photos, so why not lean into that experience while trying to humanize the tuxedoed primate filling his shoes? BOND pretty much creates a mock-up Rolling Stone cover for the first poster while The Refinery gives us an “in the wild” shot of Chimp Williams glaring through a sea of media types at what appears to be a red-carpet event. The latter is fun in its juxtaposition (including the tagline “Fame makes moneys of us all” despite chimpanzees being apes), but I’m a big fan of the former for its dedication to the bit. Here is your icon legitimized by a mainstream publication. What more do you need?

Or maybe we will change the thread's name to Better Man OST? ;) I suppose it has more chances to be active. --- Anyway, I can't hear Adam on this Angels track! :o Only Robbie. What's wrong with me?

I don't know what's next for Lufthaus project: maybe Visions Vol 2 will be released, maybe not. But it's still here and some other news could come. For example for yesterday news about releasing of the new remix no need to open the special thread, so let's use the overall thread about Lufthaus then. ----- EEzMeDybBG0 Pb7MdvYfHvM yKoQjPQnq_w Frankly speaking I liked the original (without Lufthaus) song more: 8kWnaR5zlyc

Well, as promised you, I tried to collect all important dates of 'Better Man' movie: first screenings, premieres and some other important dates for Awards season at all. Come on, u know! ----- Festivals: 30.08.2024 - Telluride Film Festival (US) - World premiere 10.09.2024 - Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) (Canada) - Canadian premiere 25.09.2024 - Fantastic Fest (US) 10.10.2024 - Mill Valley Film Festival (US) 16.10.2024 - Santa Fe International Film Festival (US) 22.10.2024 - Chicago International Film Festival (US) 29.10.2024 - SCAD Savannah Film Festival (US) 02.11.2024 - Miami Film Festival GEMS (US) 20.11.2024 - International Film Festival of India (IFFI) (India) - Asian premiere 04.12.2024 - Festival International De Cine De Los Cabos (FICC) (Mexico) - Latin America premiere 08.12.2024 - Whistler Film Festival (Canada) - Western Canadian premiere 14.12.2024 - Red Sea Film Festival (Saudi Arabia) - Middle East premiere 02.01.2025 - Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) (US) Special premieres: 27.09.2024 - UK & European premiere (London, Odeon) 04.12.2024 - Spanish premiere (Madrid) 06.12.2024 - Italian premiere (Rome) 08.12.2024 - German premiere (Cologne) 10.12.2024 - Dutch premiere (Amsterdam) 13.12.2024 - French premiere (Paris, Le Grand Rex) Other dates: 08.10.2024 - AACTA - Members Screening (Australia) 25.10.2024 - Film Independent - Members Screening (US) 16.11.2024 - Deadline Contenders Film (US) 26.12.2024 - Better Man - Worldwide cinema release 10.01.2025 - Better Man - US wide cinema release --------------------------------------------------------------------- The most important the 2025 Movie Awards dates: 09.12.2024 - Nominations announcement for Golden Globes 05.01.2025 - Golden Globes Award 15.01.2025 - Nominations announcement for BAFTA 17.01.2025 - Nominations announcement for Oscar 16.02.2025 - BAFTA 03.03.2025 - Oscar P.S. More dates here: https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2025-osca...s-2-1205955652/ --- If I forgot something, please let me know and we will add it.

Well, while there are no any sales stats, I've prepared some another interesting (I hope) data. Will share it this evening.

Robbie Williams on ‘Better Man,’ Musical Films and Monkeys December 4, 2024 — By Adam Tanswell From “Cabaret” and “A Star is Born” through to “The Lion King” and “Les Misérables,” a mesmerizing array of musical movies have won at the Golden Globe Awards. For close to a century, audiences have been captivated by song-filled stories created by musically-enthused filmmakers – and the 2024 lineup from the genre offers a number of cinematic surprises. This year’s eclectic list of musical movie releases includes a Disney animation, “Moana 2,” and a DC Comics sequel with Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker: Folie À Deux.” There are “Wicked,” a blockbusting behemoth that serves as an eye-popping prequel to “The Wizard Of Oz,” as well as a cartel-centered operatic crime comedy, “Emilia Pérez.” There’s also “Piece By Piece,” a Pharrell Williams biopic told through the medium of a LEGO animation. The list goes on and on. The tumultuous life story of chart-topping British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams is the subject of another musical biopic released in 2024, albeit with a bit of a twist. For “Better Man,” the famed U.K. musician is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. Yes, it’s the true story of the Take That pop star with a proverbial “performing monkey” in the lead role. If you’re a fan of Robbie Williams, you might be pleased to know that not all of his facial features are hidden on the big screen. “They are my eyes on the monkey,” chuckles the singer, speaking to goldenglobes.com via Zoom from Switzerland. “You know, that’s the magic of cinema. They mapped my face as part of the process. You go into a cage with 150 cameras and you’re asked to pull 120 different facial expressions. It’s incredible.” Why a CGI chimpanzee? “Oh, I just love eccentricity,” enthuses Williams. “I love the surreal, so it made complete sense to me when [‘Better Man’ writer-director-producer] Michael Gracey pitched the idea. I don’t think we’d have had as many people talking about the film had we not had the monkey in it. It’s unusual, and that’s exactly why I love it.” Over the years, a select number of jukebox musical biopics, including Elton John’s “Rocketman” and Freddie Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” have been criticized for sugarcoating the truth or glossing over some of the finer biographic details of a story. With “Better Man,” Williams is adamant that the R-rated narrative is very true-to-life. “It’s been pointed out to me that it’s very unusual to be so willing to divulge so much about my problematic personality,” the 50-year-old admits during our candid Zoom conversation. “I only realize it’s unusual when people say, ‘Hey, that’s unusual.’ And I go, ‘Is it? Okay.’ Where the other biopics have had to be sanitized because their people fear for their intellectual property, I lean into being problematic. I’m okay about showing you my demons. I’m okay with showing you exactly what they look like. Where authenticity is concerned, my story and my film works. It may not have happened in that order, but that’s certainly how it felt.” Many of the musical movie contenders for the upcoming 82nd Golden Globe Awards feature original songs. For “Moana 2,”Auli’i Cravalho belts out “Beyond.” For “Emilia Pérez,” Selena Gomez sings the intoxicating “Mi Camino,” while Zoe Saldaña rocks out with “El Mal.” For “Better Man,” Williams spent months trying to create a meaningful new track for the movie’s closing credits. “I’d sent a few songs to Michael Gracey over the months and years before the film came out,” reveals the singer. “He would always say to me, ‘No, that’s not it. No, not that one.’ Then I remembered a story about ‘Lose Yourself’ and ‘8 Mile.’ Eminem sent the song to the director of the movie, who told him, ‘It’s not good enough.’ But it ended up being in the movie.” Williams pauses for thought and accidentally nudges his New Kids On The Block baseball cap into frame. He smiles before concluding: “With everything that I was sending over to Michael, I kept thinking, ‘No, he’s got this wrong. What does he know? Stick to making a film and I’ll do the music.’ But then I saw the film and I realized completely what was needed. At the end of the film, you just need a hug. That’s when I set about creating a song that was a massive hug for the audience, along with [co-songwriters] Sacha Skarbek and Freddy Wexler. ‘Forbidden Road’ is the result.” Will an all-new musical win in the Best Movie – Musical Or Comedy category at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards? And who will walk home with the Golden Globe for original song? Find out when the glittering ceremony airs live on CBS on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. ENDS https://goldenglobes.com/articles/robbie-wi...ms-and-monkeys/

Unfinished Monkey Business In my opinion, in could be a great album name for current moment and being a Robbie Williams album because it's his albums names style. But. Ian Brown already had this, unfortunately :)

Tess, thanks for opening the thread. -- Forbidden Road (from "Better Man" soundtrack) I walked along a forbidden road I had to know Where does it go Like birds that fly into the sun I had to run I'm not the only one Why do you look at me that way I'm not a problem that needs solving The truth is still evolving Life is the choices that we make We're the masters of our own fate The painter and the paint You need to lose your mind To get back to the light sometimes I walked along a forbidden road I had to know Where does it go Like birds that fly into the sun I had to run I'm not the only one Maybe I'm never satisfied I made a lot of poor decisions Yeah I'd make some revisions And I'm still trying to get it right I'm a living contradiction The cure and the affliction You need to lose your mind To get back to the light sometimes I walked along a forbidden road I had to know Where does it go Like birds that fly into the sun I had to run I'm not the only one So do you love me now Or did I let you down You said you wanted all my secrets So I showed you all my demons Do you love me now I walked along a forbidden road I had to know Where does it go Like birds that fly into the sun I had to run I'm not the only one

Same video like in article but on YT m_OAtejtYlE

Another activity in USA for Robbie what should be admitted.

@1863705682031124921

Also I really enjoyed of charts race in 2019 when all three albums - Rob's, Rod Stewart's and Coldplay's have got Number 1 album status during their battle in Q4. Really cool moment if you remember it :)

Vibe, what's your faves? --- Sometimes I think he is specially keeping this album in a low profile to use another right time to do that when it will be difficult to be creative a starting to be a Buble-style artist. But sometimes I just think he is losing opportunity don't release one song per year. Sooooo many great song on it! And I'm talking this not because I'm Rob's fan. There could be a great tradition of one song releasing per each Xmas like The Killers did during 10 years or so. Anyway, I'm he will be back with that album one day. My faves: One Last Christmas, Rudolph, Bad Sharon, Idlewild. And thanks for Not Christmas reminding...wow I absolutely forgot about that song because it's a bonus song.

Yes for Guy! :) It's great to see there at one of the most important day for Robbie. Very important they have shared this day together!

Sounds fine, but when, Mr Williams? :) Don't be Bono of recording 60 songs and not releasing :))

I suppose we are doing a mistake do not open a separate topic of 'Forbidden Road' :) Interesting review and reaction on this song. It has been a good song from the beginning (Telluride Fest) but it's growing and growing. c6jIj9LW9Fs

Seems I haven't seen this version of poster with that note 'The extraordinary...'

I don't know about Oscar period because it's only in March and it's more politican now than ever but I always have been a fan of Golden Globes Award. Due the fact how media tells about Better Man I wouldn't be surprised to see 2-3 nominations in 2 weeks. You maybe know, that GG devides Drama and Comedy in two different parts, so there are more chances to see that name. Anyway, at least in the beginning of November Forbidden Road has been ranked as Number 4 in GG ratings: https://variety.com/lists/2025-golden-globe...edictions/song/ Anyway!! Even just thinking about ANY nominations at such important awards and all of these news of many many festivals for Better Man make me SO happy for Rob!! How nervous we were about the movie this summer... And how we reliable on this now..! Even before watching :))

Greatest Days | 18 months on, Take That film finally gets DVD release by Simon Brew | November 27, 2024 https://filmstories.co.uk/news/greatest-day...ts-dvd-release/

In my opinion, it's a question of time between February vs. June. You know, now it's the movie time but it also a promo time. And because there is no time to promote the new album at the moment, the movie can be his and its promotion. But if you want to sell more copies you need better promo OR big hype from something. So if the movie will be succesfull, then of course people will buy the album even without special album promo. So, in opposite side if it will not be so succesful movie then he needs to choose another time when his profile would be higher. Then June time frame with his Tour is another good opportunity for album release. Well, it's just my thoughts :)

BBC Radio 2 Playlist | 30th November 2024 A List * Coldplay - ALL MY LOVE [Record of the Week] Elton John & Brandi Carlile - Never Too Late [A-A-A] JADE - Fantasy [A-A-A-A-A] Lady Gaga - Disease [b-B-B-A-A] ↑ Myles Smith - Nice To Meet You [b-A] Pet Shop Boys - All the young dudes [b-A-A-A] Robbie Williams - Forbidden Road [A-A] ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - APT. [b-B-A-A-A-A] Sam Fender - People Watching [A-A-A] Whitney Houston - Love Is (2024 Mix) [A-A-A-A] Second week on Radio 2 for FR

Well done!! What a great responce on the movie everywhere! I can't believe it!

The song is a filler, not a single material.