‘Better Man’ Teaser: Musical Biopic Features a Monkey Portraying British Pop Star Robbie Williams

How do you surpass “The Greatest Showman”? For writer/director Michael Gracey, the answer was to go ape—literally.

Gracey helms the musical biopic “Better Man,” which tells the story of British pop star Robbie Williams. The twist? Williams is depicted by a computer-generated monkey. Billed as an “extraordinary visual spectacle,” the Paramount film embodies Gracey’s “expansive vision,” with Weta FX and motion-capture actor Jonno Davies bringing the simian version of Williams to life.

Davies provides the voice for the monkey portraying Williams, with additional performances from Steve Pemberton and Raechelle Banno.

Gracey co-wrote the film alongside Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson. “Better Man” premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where IndieWire critic David Ehrlich noted in his review that having Williams represented by a computer-generated monkey enhances the film’s appeal.

Ehrlich writes, “You will see a monkey bleach its hair. You will see a monkey party with Oasis. You will see a monkey engage in unreasonable amounts of cocaine, inject a heroin needle into its furry arm, and drive headlong into oncoming traffic while belting out a pop song.” Gracey explained to the Telluride audience that he aimed to literalize Williams’ self-image as a performing monkey, yet the film does not provide a clear explanation, as the other characters perceive him differently—“unevolved,” as he sees himself.

The review emphasizes, “It never lets you forget that Williams is different and that he’s at the mercy of his own wounded ambition; you can’t help but gawk at him like the star he is, share his embarrassment during his struggles as the most troubled member of boy band Take That, and recognize that a normal life was never meant for him. By the film’s conclusion, you see him as human all the same, even if Gracey never fully abandons the concept.”

“Better Man” isn’t alone in offering a unique twist on the traditional musical biopic; Pharrell Williams chose to be transformed into a LEGO character for his life story, titled “Piece by Piece.”