Robbie Williams biopic trailer debuts with CGI monkey in lead role

The trailer for an upcoming Robbie Williams biopic has dropped - with a completely unexpected star in the lead role.

Better Man charts Williams’ journey to fame and his decades in the spotlight and will cover, as Paramount Pictures puts it, his “meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence”.

But fans may be somewhat surprised to see the former Take That singer is played by a CGI monkey.

The teaser clip, which clocks in at just over a minute long, features a voiceover from Williams as he explains the thinking behind the unusual creative decision.

“I know what you’re thinking. What’s with the monkey?” he says. “I’m Robbie Williams. I’m one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But I’ve always seen myself a little less… evolved.”

In the trailer, the CGI monkey version of Williams can be seen experiencing highs and lows, as he goes from being mocked on a football field during childhood to performing as part of Take That and flying solo at the Brit Awards.

Reacting to the casting choice on X, one fan posted: “You better believe Better Man is coming for that Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination.”

“Part of Robbie Williams’ appeal was how hot he looked in the 90s and 00s, but now in his biopic, he’s a… monkey?” wrote another.

Better Man, which takes its name from a track on Williams’ third studio album Sing When You’re Winning, is directed by Michael Gracey, who also oversaw the Hugh Jackman-led musical The Greatest Showman.

“The film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit,” Paramount Pictures has said.

Better Man is set to arrive in cinemas later this year but attendees at the Toronto Film Festival got the chance to see it in early September.

And, perhaps surprisingly, they had positive things to say, with the Guardian’s critic giving the movie four stars and labelling the CGI monkey as “a bananas gamble that pays off”.

“Don't question it, just go with it,” an editor at Variety has urged fans on social media. “If there were an award for best choreography, the Rock DJ sequence in this film would win,” she added.

Better Man will arrive in cinemas on December 26, 2024.