Robbie Williams’ Very Unconventional Biopic Releases Next Month
Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Britney – the list of music stars getting a biopic is ever-growing as more and more artists and their catalogues become the basis for a full Hollywood film. Robbie Williams is joining that list- except his biopic is rather unconventional in that it tells his life story with a chimp. The zany Better Man, coming to cinemas next month, features actor Jonno Davies as the voice of Robbie (and Williams himself singing), a talking singing chimpanzee, while everyone else remains human. Here’s all you need to know:
What is Better Man about?
Better Man, named after the 2001 song of the same name from the album Sing When You’re Winning, tells Robbie’s story in a semi-autobiographical way, and there’s clearly a focus on style over 100% accuracy. His “meteoric rise” to fame and subsequent “dramatic fall” is the main crux of the story, but with the added novelty that in this version, Williams is depicted as a CGI chimpanzee. In the film’s trailer, the pop star narrates, “Now I know what you’re thinking…what’s with the monkey?”, and explains that he has always felt a “bit less evolved.” He also explained in an interview that “It desensitizes and sensitizes you all at the same time. We have deep empathy and compassion for animals, way more than we do for humans.”
So what else do we know, chimp antics aside? Better Man covers William’s life from his early years with his family, and how he shot to fame aged just 16 as part of Take That in the 90s. It’ll also cover his struggles with being in the public eye, and how his career took a serious hit in part to his substance abuse problems, eventually seeing his rise back from rock bottom. His songs and performances, of course, will be a big feature, and the whole thing is helmed by Michael Gacey, who also directed the musical extravaganza The Greatest Showman.
When does it release, and who else stars?
Of course, the premise of a pop star biopic told with a monkey does sound like it could end up disastrously – but Better Man has received good critical reviews so far, with praise for the originality and freshness it brings to the genre, and telling Williams’ story in a stylish but poignant way.
Other members of the cast include Steve Pemberton (Inside No. 9), Alison Steadman (The King’s Man), Damon Herriman (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), along with Jack Simmance as Gary Barlow, Liam Head as Howard Donald, Jesse Hyde as Mark Owen, and Chase Vollenweider as Jason Orange. It comes to cinemas on Boxing Day (26th December), and you can watch the trailer below.
