British pop star Robbie Williams is doing plenty of monkeying around in the new trailer for his upcoming biopic, Better Man. The film from Paramount Pictures, which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival back in August, is a unique depiction of the"Angels" and"Feel" singer's rise, fall, and rise again in the music industry, laying bare his demons and insecurities in the process.
The footage only gives a small tease of the journey Better Man aims to take viewers on, one that begins with his rise aboard the boy band Take That and charts his evolution into the bad boy of British pop. Williams enjoyed historic success as a solo act with 18 Brit Awards to his name, seven U.K. #1 hits, and record-breaking ticket and album sales, making him one of the bestselling artists on the planet.
OK, But Why the CGI Monkey for 'Better Man'? Helming the project is The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey who brings his show-stopping tendencies to Williams's story. It was Gracey's idea to make Better Man visually distinct through its use of a monkey in place of the pop star, but he was inspired by Williams's expression that he felt at times like a monkey performing for everyone.
While it still follows the music biopic formula, Better Man earned high praise on the festival circuit for its unique approach to that formula.
Better Man will premiere in the United States on January 17 after a limited run in theaters on Christmas Day. Check out the trailer in the player above and learn more about the monkey below.