Better Man (film)

Better Man
Australian theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Gracey
Written by
Produced by
  • Paul Currie
  • Michael Gracey
  • Coco Xiaolu Ma
  • Craig McMahon
  • Jules Daly
Starring
CinematographyErik A. Wilson
Edited by
Music by
  • Batu Sener (score)
  • Robbie Williams (songs)
Production
companies
  • Sina Studios
  • Facing East Entertainment
  • Rocket Science
  • The Lost Bandits
  • Footloose Productions
  • Mid-March Media
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 30 August 2024 (2024-08-30) (Telluride)
  • 25 December 2024 (2024-12-25) (United States)
  • 26 December 2024 (2024-12-26) (Australia)
Running time
135 minutes
Countries
  • Australia
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$110 million
Box office$22.5 million

Better Man is a 2024 biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey from a screenplay by Gracey, Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole. It is based on the life of the English singer Robbie Williams and stars Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton and Alison Steadman.

Development on Better Man began in February 2021, after Gracey was announced as director and co-writer alongside Gleeson and Cole. Williams is portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee, performed by Davies using motion capture, and co-voiced by Williams: this was due to Williams' perception of himself as a "performing monkey" and Gracey's vision of the film as a "satirical musical". No other character comments on his appearance. Williams also re-recorded several songs from his discography for the film. Principal photography began in May 2022 and lasted until June 2023, with filming locations including Docklands Studios in Melbourne, Regent Street and the Royal Albert Hall in London, and Krnjača.

Better Man premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024 and was theatrically released in the United States on 25 December, by Paramount Pictures, and in the United Kingdom a day later, by Entertainment Film Distributors. It grossed $22.5 million worldwide, becoming a box-office bomb, but received positive reviews. Better Man won nine AACTA Awards, including for Best Film, and was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, BAFTA Film Awards and Visual Effects Society Awards.