Better Man

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Movie Details

Country United Kingdom, Australia, United States
Language English
GenresBiography, Fantasy, Music, Musical
Release date30 August 2024 (Telluride)
25 December 2024 (United States)
26 December 2024 (Australia)
Running time2hr 15min
Age ratingR
StarringRobbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvany
Directed by Michael Gracey
Written bySimon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Produced byPaul Currie, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon, Jules Daly
Cinematography by Erik A. Wilson
Edited by Jeff Groth, Spencer Susser, Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Patrick Correll
Music byBatu Sener (score), Robbie Williams (songs)
Casting byKate Dowd, Kate Leonard, Alison Telford
Production Design byJoel Chang
Art Direction byMichael Bell, Jennifer A. Davis, Tony Drew, Joseph Bisat Marshall, Tanika Rainbow Pratt, Mark Robins, Mark. C . Stephen
Set Decoration byLisa Brennan, Alexa Hartle, Sophie Newman
Costume Design byCappi Ireland
Production CompanySina Studios
Facing East Entertainment
Rocket Science
Lost Bandits
Footloose Productions
Distributor Roadshow Films (Australia)
Entertainment Film Distributors (United Kingdom)
Paramount Pictures (United States, Canada and France)

Cast & Characters

  • Robbie Williams as himself (narrator, vocals)
    • Jonno Davies as Robbie Williams (voice and motion capture)
    • Adam Tucker provides additional singing vocals for Robbie
    • Carter J. Murphy provides the voice of young Robbie
  • Steve Pemberton as Peter Williams/Conway, Robbie’s father
  • Kate Mulvany as Janet Williams, Robbie’s mother
  • Alison Steadman as Betty Williams, Robbie’s grandmother
  • Damon Herriman as Nigel Martin-Smith, the band manager of Take That
  • Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton, a member of All Saints and Robbie’s fiancée
  • Jake Simmance as Gary Barlow, a member of Take That
  • Liam Head as Howard Donald, a member of Take That
  • Jesse Hyde as Mark Owen, a member of Take That
  • Chase Vollenweider as Jason Orange, a member of Take That
  • Tom Budge as Guy Chambers, Robbie’s songwriting partner
  • Leo Harvey-Elledge as Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis
  • Chris Gun as Noel Gallagher, Liam’s brother and a member of Oasis
  • Anthony Hayes as Chris Briggs
  • Frazer Hadfield as Nate
  • John O’May as Terry Swinton

Storyline

Better Man chronicles the meteoric highs and lows of British superstar Robbie Williams. From visionary director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film follows the rise, fall, and remarkable resurgence of one of music’s greatest entertainers.

About Better Man Movie

Better Man is a biographical musical film co-written, produced and directed by Michael Gracey about the life of British singer Robbie Williams. Williams is portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee with computer-generated imagery (CGI), performed by Jonno Davies using motion capture, and voiced by both Williams and Davies. Steve Pemberton, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman, and Damon Herriman also star.

The project was announced in February 2021, co-written and directed by Michael Gracey, with additional writing credits to Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson. Gracey also served as a producer alongside Jules Daly for Big Red Films and Craig McMahon for McMahon International. Funding was supported by the Australian government’s Producer Offset and Film Victoria’s incentive programs. The film is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Roadshow Films, with international sales managed by Rocket Science.

Described as a satirical musical, the film spans three decades of Robbie Williams’ career, from his rise to fame with Take That to the highs and lows of his solo stardom. The project reinterprets and recontextualizes several of Williams’ iconic songs.

Robbie Williams described the filming process as “super odd,” recalling moments where he sat in makeup alongside actors portraying his family members. Jonno Davies portrays and voices Williams as a CGI chimpanzee using motion-capture technology, while Williams narrates the film and provides his voice in the final scene. Williams re-recorded many of his songs for the film, with additional vocals by Adam Tucker on tracks such as “My Way” and “She’s the One” (featuring Kayleigh McKnight).

The cast includes Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Anthony Hayes, Damon Herriman, and Kate Mulvany. Williams’ Take That bandmates are portrayed by Jake Simmance (Barlow), Liam Head (Donald), Jesse Hyde (Owen), and Chase Vollenweider (Orange). VFX was provided by Wētā FX.

Principal photography began at Docklands Studios Melbourne in May and June 2022. Concert scenes from Williams’ 2001 “Live at the Albert” show were recreated at the Royal Albert Hall in London during his November 6 and 7, 2022, performances, with audience members attending in evening dress at discounted ticket prices. Additional filming took place in London in March 2023.

Better Man Release Date

Better Man premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2024. Additionally, the film opened the 55th International Film Festival of India on 20 November 2024.

The film was theatrically released on 26 December 2024 in Australia by Roadshow Films and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors. It had a limited theatrical release by Paramount Pictures in the United States on 25 December, before a wider release on 10 January 2025.

Where to Watch Better Man Movie Online?

Budget & Box Office Collection

Budget$110 million
Domestic Opening $18,259
Domestic Collection$1,983,648
International Collection$15,169,755
Worldwide Collection$17,153,403

Soundtracks

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1“Feel”Williams, Guy Chambers3:00
2“I Found Heaven”Ian Levine, Billy Griffin3:02
3“Rock DJ”Williams, Chambers, Kelvin Andrews, Nelson Pigford, Ekundayo Paris4:01
4“Relight My Fire”Dan Hartman2:36
5“Come Undone”Williams, Boots Ottestad, Ashley Hamilton, Daniel Pierre3:08
6“She’s the One”Karl Wallinger4:17
7“Something Beautiful”Williams, Chambers4:01
8“Land of 1000 Dances”Chris Kenner4:05
9“Angels”Williams, Chambers5:29
10“Let Me Entertain You”Williams, Chambers3:38
11“Better Man”Williams, Chambers4:20
12“My Way”Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, Claude François, Paul Anka7:04
13“Forbidden Road”Williams, Chambers3:17

Awards & Nominations

The song “Forbidden Road” from the film was nominated for Best Original Song at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. However, while initially shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards, it was later disqualified after it was discovered that it incorporated material from another song. The film ultimately received a single nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Better Man garnered a record-breaking 16 nominations at the 2025 AACTA Awards. It was also nominated in four categories at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature, Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Feature, and Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project. Additionally, the film received a nomination for Best Special Visual Effects at the 78th British Academy Film Awards.

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