To make matters worse, the film has failed to make an impression in Williams’ home country of the UK too.
Robbie Williams’ new biopic has flopped at the box office. Photo / Getty Images
Better Man faltered with $3.4m on its first weekend of release and has only managed to make a paltry $8.5m to date.
“Robbie Williams played by a digitally animated chimpanzee [is] an outlandish choice. For anyone complaining that the industry plays it too safe, this is your movie,” David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, told Variety. “The risk-taking is excellent, but [US]$110 million is not realistic for the genre and for this musical artist. $25 to $30 million would have made more sense.”
Created and directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey, the creative mind behind The Greatest Showman, the film shows Williams’ harrowing descent into alcohol and drug abuse.
The pop star, who is cast as a performing monkey in Better Man and narrates much of the film, said he had been overwhelmed by the film’s warm reception from critics.
“I’m existing on the fumes of this movie being greeted so warmly,” he told news.com.au. “And for something that is not an altruistic decision to make but very, very careerist, it’s having a therapeutic value. Worry not, I’m in the best mental shape that I’ve ever been in my life. I am in the most namaste way ever ... I’m f**king grateful.”
Robbie Williams is characterised as a chimpanzee in his biopic Better Man. Photo / Paramount Pictures
The Melbourne-shot movie created 2,920 jobs and generated $157m for the Victorian economy.
Williams said in a statement he was “so grateful to Victoria, to Melbourne, the incredibly talented cast and crew, the writers, the producers and director Michael Gracey”.
“I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to make this extraordinary film here.”
