Why is Robbie Williams portrayed as a monkey in the biopic trailer for ‘Better Man’?
The trailer for ‘Better Man’, the movie based on singer Robbie Williams’s life, has been released, with the singer portrayed as a monkey. Why this animal?
“Better Man” is a biopic based on the life of British singer Robbie Williams, and the movie’s first trailer that has just been released portrays him as a computer-generated monkey.
According to a Paramount Pictures synopsis, the movie is “based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.”
The story follows his childhood, his stint as the youngest member of the boy band “Take That”, and his career as a solo artist.
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Why is Robbie Williams portrayed as a monkey in the biopic trailer for ‘Better Man’?
The film’s director, Michael Gracey, who also directed 2017′s “The Greatest Showman”, told Vanity Fair he decided to show Williams’ character as a monkey to communicate the singer’s self loathing.
Gracey said Williams saw himself as a performing monkey not just when he was famous but for his whole life, as he put on shows for other children and for his parents.
The director said he believed the audience would be able to relate to this monkey, that they would like to accompany him on his journey, and that they would fall in love with him.
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Williams agreed with the monkey concept, because he wanted to something unusual. However, shooting the movie in this way doubled the production cost.
The 50-year-old singer said humans care more for animals than people, “so the audience is probably going to have more empathy for me as a monkey than they would’ve done for me as me,” per Vanity Fair.
Better Man will debut in select U.S. theaters on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2024, while the rest of the country will be able to see it beginning Jan. 17, 2024.