First look at Robbie Williams as CGI monkey in new film has fans saying same thing

By Pune Media On Oct 2, 2024 54

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Robbie Williams fans finally have their first glimpse of the star as a CGI monkey in his upcoming big screen biopic, Better Man.

This central gimmick – everyone else in the movie musical is a normal human who doesn’t blink twice over cheeky monkey Robbie – has been fascinating folks since it was first whispered of back in 2021.

And while there’s a lot of excitement, there’s also a fair amount of confusion still.

Better Man is directed by Michael Gracey, the filmmaker behind musical phenomenon The Greatest Showman, who was inspired to make this bold creative decision by the former Take That star explaining to him that he had often felt like a performing monkey.

Here we see Monkey Robbie in his full, impressively computer-generated glory, as portrayed physically and vocally (bar the singing, of course) by Jonno Davies, following a long casting search.

But it’s chart-topper Robbie himself who narrates the trailer.

We have finally seem what Robbie Williams looks like as a CGI monkey (Picture: Paramount Pictures)

Better Man is a musical biopic about the UK singing star (Picture: Paramount Pictures)

Robbie narrates the trailer and voices the monkey in the film (Picture: Canadian Press/Rex/Shutterstock)

‘I know what you’re thinking – what’s with the monkey?’ he begins, addressing the unusual storytelling method head on as a young version of Monkey Robbie is kicked into the mud by a group of young lads.

Cutting straight to famous shots of the (human) Angel hitmaker and clips of wild fans at massive concerts, he continues: ‘I’m Robbie Williams, I’m one of the biggest popstars in the world. But I’ve always seen myself… a little less evolved.’

Cue a perfectly timed stuck out tongue from Monkey Robbie for the cameras as cameras flash and one of his biggest tunes, Let Me Entertain You, plays over the trailer.

We’re then treated to shots of the star (as a monkey still) in surreal and futuristic dance numbers, involving feathers and floating on a raft at sea, and wearing everything from a red sequinned suit to black leather and a kilt.

‘For the next two hours, your ass is mine!’ he screams to a thrilled crowd at a show, before it cuts to a younger Robbie slamming open the back door of his terraced childhood home, shouting: ‘I’m going to be f**king famous!’

‘Shut up, you t*t,’ yells an unseen neighbour, suggesting the irreverent tone of the movie, to which Robbie retorts: ‘Oh, f**k off, Glen!’

It’s a striking creative decision as everyone else is a human in Better Man (Picture: Paramount Pictures)

However, many trailer viewers took issue with his self-described status as a popstar – prompting a lot of comments, mostly from America, which Robbie never quite broke.

It seems he’s intent on changing that with Better Man, having already focused on the North American market for the film’s global premiere and first screenings.

‘Biggest pop star in the world. I don’t even know his songs,’ @_spotjosh commented on X, while @Ayyeeedrian_ quipped: ‘Cool premise I guess but I’ve never heard of this man in my life.’

‘I thought that said Robin Williams at first and I was mortified lol,’ admitted Jeff Brainard.

‘Today I learned who Robbie Williams is,’ shared Jacoby Boyer, while there was even a poll put in place by one user asking if people knew who Robbie was (at the time of publication, he was edging ahead with 61% at least having heard the name).

Many US fans questioned who Robbie was though in the comments (Picture: Michal Augustini/Rex/Shutterstock)

Despite over 30 years of stardom in the UK and around the world, he never broke America (Picture: Iris Honold/Rex/Shutterstock)

Better Man is thought to be a warts-and-all biopic of the star (Picture: Paramount Pictures)

‘I have no idea who this is. That being said this looks AWESOME,’ enthused @theJaiRoad.

Fans also couldn’t resist commenting on a similarity between Monkey Robbie and another very famous CGI movie ape.

‘I didn’t expect an origin movie of Caesar’s father but here we are,’ joked @brettthebest3978 on YouTube, while another fan posted: ‘Ceasar is doing side missions now.’

Both were in reference to the character who leads the apes in the Planet of the Apes franchise, rendered in CGI in the reboot series and portrayed by Andy Serkis.

First look at Robbie Williams as CGI monkey in new film has fans saying same thing

More Trending