British pop sensationRobbie Williamssings his life’s story as a CGI chimpanzee inBetter Man. It sounds too good to be true, but the musician isn’t monkeying around. Directed byMichael Gracey(The Greatest Showman),Better Manfollows Williamsin the body of a talking, singing, and dancing ape, chronicling his path to superstardom. There’s nothing ordinary about Williams’ journey. A working-class dreamer, his meteoric rise to fame is something straight out of a fairy tale.
Unfortunately, Williams would later get a taste of what it’s like being a celebrity. His career is packed with unforgettable highs and dramatic lows, oftentimes the latter outweighing the former. But when he does rise to the occasion, Williams would go on to prove that he’s still got the stuff and magic touch- on and off-stage. Without further ado, here’s everything we know so far aboutBetter Man.
‘Better Man’ Review: Robbie Williams Is a CGI Monkey In Wild Take on the Music Biopic
From ‘The Greatest Showman’ director Michael Gracey, ‘Better Man’ takes a bananas look at the celebrity biopic.
8When Is ‘Better Man’ Coming Out?
Better Mansings its way to cinemas inselect theaters on July 22, 2025, followedby a global release on July 22, 2025. Before this, the movie had its official premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, followed by a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on 22 July 2025.
Christmas Day just got a lot merrier at the cinemas. BesidesBetter Man,the Claressa Shields boxing biopicThe Fire Insideis also scheduled for a theatrical release on December 25 Other movies sharing the same premiere date include the A24 erotic thrillerBabygirl, starringNicole KidmanandHarris Dickinsonasan office affair gone sideways, andRobert Eggers’, gothic vampire flickNosferatu,adapted from the classic novel byBram Stoker.
7What Is ‘Better Man’ Rated?
Better Manhas been rated R by the MPAfor “drug use, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity, and some violent content.” So despite what the CGI monkey on the poster may have you believe, it may be best to leave the little ones at home.
6How Long Is ‘Better Man’?
Better Manhasa runtime of 134 minutes or 2 hours and 14 minutes.
5Watch the Trailer for ‘Better Man’
The teaser trailer forBetter Manwas released on July 15, 2025. The clip wastes no time addressing the elephant in the room: “What’s with the monkey?” Despite being one the biggest pop stars in the world, Williams confesses that he’s felt somewhat “less evolved”, hence the chimpanzee. What follows is a montage of the star’s whirlwind life, jumping from concert to concert, escorted by his security personnel, and adored by hundreds of fans. But in between the fame and fortune, something was falling apart - his life. This is the story of Williams told in a way only the musician can - excessive, eccentric, and electrifying.
Better Manreleased its full and final trailer on November 14, taking audiences way back to where it all started. The son of working-class parents, the young, CGI chimpanzee Williams wishes for one thing: to become somebody. Fast forward a few years later, Williams hit the jackpot with Take That - only for it to come crashing down when the music industry decided to go against him. From the man behind “Angels” and “Feels” now comes an exhilarating tour of his life’s journey, one that promises to be both satirical and soulful.
4Who Stars in ‘Better Man’?
Robbie Williams
Jonno Davies
Young Robbie Williams
Steve Pemberton
Damon Herriman
Nigel Martin-Smith
Raechelle Banno
Nicole Appleton
Alison Steadman
Kate Mulvaney
Frazer Hadfield
Guy Chambers
Anthony Hayes
Chris Briggs
Williams stars as the singer himselfreimagined as a spunky CGI chimpanzee. The pop star first got his shot at fame when he became part of the group Take That from 1989-1995, followed by an immensely successful career as a solo artist. At only sixteen years old, he’s gained worldwide recognition and an army of fangirls for being Take That’s “cheeky member”. Although he had a rocky start following his departure from the group, Williams would later on prove to become the mega-hit sensation of the millennium, thanks to hits like “Angels” and “Millenium”, and his 2000 album “Sing When You’re Winning”. He’s become the face of the U.K.’s naughties, and to this day, a British pop icon that’s no less famous than pop purveyorsThe Spice Girls.
Better Manalso starsJonno Davies(Kingsman: The Secret Service),Steve Pemberton(Good Omens),Damon Herriman(The Nightingale),Raechelle Banno(Phenomena),Alison Steadman(The King’s Man),Kate Mulvany(Hunters), Frazer Hadfield(Casualty),Tom Budge(Candy), andAnthony Hayes(Animal Kingdom).
3What Is ‘Better Man’ About?
Check out the official synopsis forBetter Man:
“Better Man 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. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s 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.”
Named afterWilliams’ song of the same name,Better Nameis a pop star’s tale as old as time - a Cinderella story of how a talented nobody rose to become the ultimate somebody. However, fame comes with a price. Throughout Williams’ extensive career, the singer has become the stuff of brutal tabloids and major public scrutiny. From his tumultuous love life, and struggles with substance abuse, to concerning mental issues, the world of superstardom was doing more harm than good. But Williams isn’t flushing his career down the drain. Call it a comeback, call it a miracle, Williams would later on become one the U.K.’s most accomplished musicians andcelebrated figures of pop culture.
Traditionally, when it comes to musical biopics, audiences are used to seeing actors playing these musicians (such is the case withTimothée ChalametinA Complete Unknown). But this time around, Williams is reimagined as a chimpanzee inBetter Man.Speaking with the Golden Globes, Williams shares that although he’s not physically in the movie, his facial expressions are present on the leading ape - a process that required 150 cameras to map his face. The singer also explained the creative reason which led to his unorthodox casting decision for the film.
“Oh, I just love eccentricity. I love the surreal, so it made complete sense to me when [‘Better Man’ writer-director-producer] Michael Gracey pitched the idea. I don’t think we’d have had as many people talking about the film had we not had the monkey in it. It’s unusual, and that’s exactly why I love it.”
2Who Made ‘Better Man’?
With Gracey as director, development forBetter Manwas first announced in February 2021 beforefilming officially commenced in early 2022. Possessing a strong skill set in music production and VFX, Gracey has translated his abilities into his unique, larger-than-life directing style. The director wowed audiences with the ambitious 2017 cirque de soleil hit,The Greatest Showman, followed by the rock and rollElton Johnorigin story,Rocketman- the latter being nominated for Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards.Better Manis written bySimon Gleeson(Love Never Dies),Oliver Cole(The Secret Life of Us), and Gracey. Production is handled byPaul Currie,Coco Xiaolu Ma,Jules Daly,Craig McMahon, and Gracey.
1What Awards Has ‘Better Man’ Been Nominated for?
Despite its formulaic biopic storyline and unorthodox choice of starring an animated chimpanzee of the singer,Better Manpulled some major heartstrings in the 2025 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The film swept a record-breaking number of 16 awards, a feat for one single film andthe first to do so in all 66 years of the AACTA.Better Manhas been nominated for key categories including Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and most notably, Best Film - sharing the same space asGeorge Miller’sFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga.Better Manhas proven to earn favorable reception, currently holding an89% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoesat the time of writing.
Better Man
Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man explores the life and career of singer Robbie Williams through his own eyes.
