Biopic films have been having a moment for some time now, with the likes of Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody and more recently Pharell's Lego Biopic taking to the big screen. By now it's getting a little tricky to reinvent the wheel of musical biopics, but singer Robbie Williams is here with a unique spin – a film about his life's story, as represented by a CGI monkey.
Props for creativity, it's certainly never been seen before (at least in the biopic world) and with top-notch VFX technology behind the film, it might be the most bizarrely intriguing trailer I've ever seen. There are still plenty of exciting upcoming VFX films launching this year, but with Robbie's GCI monkey masterpiece set to release in January, it'll be hard to top that absurdity in 2025.
When I first saw the Better Man trailer, my initial thought was naturally, why? "I know what you're thinking. What's with the monkey?" the teaser trailer begins. In his own words, Robbie claims "I've always seen myself a little less... evolved" (admittedly it's a little on the nose but credit where it's due for committing to the bit). In a bizarre and dramatic retelling of his whirlwind career from boyband heartthrob to solo pop superstar, the unique biopic looks like a wild ride from start to finish – even without the ape augmentation.
Despite its strange metaphorical nuance, the trailer displays some impressive VFX, and that's no coincidence. According to Discussing Film, Better Man's VFX was created by Wētā, the same company that worked on the stunning visuals for the Planet of the Apes franchise. If you've seen the films you'll be familiar with the astounding emotional depth of the CGI characters, something that I hope we'll get a flavour of amidst the chaos of Robbie's upcoming biopic.
So Pharrell Williams is making a biopic about himself where everyone and everything’s Lego and Robbie Williams is making one where he’s a monkey, and my only question is why is everything stupid? pic.twitter.com/4cS2ZjbRLdOctober 2, 2024
“There’s a Robbie “He is playedWilliams biopic by a CGIcoming out.” monkey.” pic.twitter.com/NqnHlOc3klOctober 2, 2024
“So Mr. Williams, are there any subtle details you’d like included in your fictional portray-”“I would be like to be a monkey.”October 2, 2024
If you'd like to learn more about Wētā's work, check out our behind-the-scenes look at the VFX for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. For any budding VFX artists, we've also got a handy guide on the must-have resources for VFX artists packed with assets for films, games, and even product visualisation.
