Fans of Robbie Williams and cinema alike are in for a treat, as the artist’s upcoming musical bio-pic BETTER MAN unveils its first official poster, an homage to Williams' unforgettable album cover, Life Thru a Lens, but with a twist.
Inspired by the 1997 album that introduced hits like “Let Me Entertain You” and “Angels”, the poster channels the raw emotion and intimate perspective of his music all while portraying Williams' as he is seen throughout the entire film - as a CGI monkey. The visuals bridge his iconic past with the new cinematic portrayal, inviting fans to revisit the era that catapulted him to global stardom.
Based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, BETTER MAN – set to hit theatres from Boxing Day, - is a dazzling live-action musical that will take audiences on a journey through Williams' life and greatest hits. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), who also co-wrote the script, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Williams’ journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
“It's an original story and Robbie's a unique character,” director Michael Gracey says. “And so I wanted to make sure that how we depicted this story and how we lensed it – in terms of where our focus was – was also creatively unique.” Gracey honed in on Williams referring to himself as a monkey over and again. “Robbie would say things like, ‘I'm up the back dancing like a monkey.’ After a while, I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be amazing to represent Robbie as a monkey in the film?’ Because Robbie is telling this story – and that's how he sees himself.”
“My life always seems to be a tightrope act with no safety harness,” admits Williams. “I could fall off at any moment and a lot of the time I do. So when Michael said, ‘Let's have you be a monkey,’ instantly I felt that it was the biggest swing that could ever happen for this movie. I loved the risk that he was taking so much, and I knew we had to go with it.”
The original album cover image was taken by renowned Music and Portrait photographer, Andy Earl, responsible for over 120 creative memorable covers and album sleeves, working with artists such as, Robbie Williams, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Madonna, and Prince.
Williams’ stars in the film alongside Jonno Davies (Hunters, Kingsman: The Secret Service), who took on the lead role of Williams throughout his teen and adult life. The cast also includes BAFTA® Award winner Steve Pemberton (Inside No. 9, Killing Eve), BAFTA® nominee Alison Steadman (The Kings Man, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse), Damon Herriman (Judy & Punch, The Tourist), Kate Mulvany (Hunters, Elvis) and Anthony Hayes (War Machine, The Light Between Oceans). Tom Budge (Bloom, Gallipoli), Raechelle Banno (Home and Away, The Ruby Landry Saga) Jake Simmance (Anatomy Of A Scandal), Liam Head, Chase Vollenweider and Jesse Hyde round out the ensemble.
Better Man is produced by Paul Currie (Blacklight, Hacksaw Ridge), Coco Xiaolu Ma (Blacklight), Craig McMahon (Never Too Late) and Jules Daly (The Tomorrow War, Boss Level). Sina Studios and Facing East Entertainment present Better Man, a Lost Bandits and Footloose Production in association with Azure Centrum, Partizan Films, Rocket Science, and VicScreen.
Robbie Williams is one of the most decorated music artists in the world with six of the Top 100 best-selling albums in British history, 85 million album sales worldwide, 14 Number 1 singles and a record 18 BRIT Awards – more than any other artist. He secured his 14th UK number 1 album in 2022 with 'XXV' breaking the record for the solo artist with the most UK number 1 albums. His total chart-topping UK albums across his solo work and records released with Take That now stands at 19 and places him in the top two acts of all time with the most Number 1s across their catalogue. In 2003, his concerts held at Knebworth attracted 375,000 fans over three nights – a record attendance that has yet to be surpassed.
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