The bizarre biopic is the first big box office bomb of 2025

2025 is already off to a better start at the box office than it has at this point in 2024. Among the films remaining late in the year are “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” and “ Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” was a box office success. We’ve just got our first new result of the year in the form of “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” (Check out our interview with the writer/director of this film here). Unfortunately, the party wasn’t for everyone. Specifically, anyone who invested even a dime in “Better Man,” the Robbie Williams biopic, could use a drink, as that film is now a major flop.

For those who may not be aware of the film, it is a musical film documenting the life story of pop star Robbie Williams. hunting? Williams is portrayed by a CGI monkey. Despite the wild appeal, audiences don’t seem to care much. “Better Man” expanded to nearly 1,300 screens last weekend and grossed just over $1 million. It’s a disaster for Paramount Pictures, which acquired domestic rights in North America, France and Japan for $25 million. Although it will technically be released in 2024, the film’s fate has been sealed following its domestic expansion this year.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. The biopic, directed by Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), has a budget of $110 million. To make matters much worse, we’ve already been disappointed in the UK, where Williams is a much bigger star. How bad is it? With just $8.8 million overseas, the film grossed $10 million worldwide. There is almost no chance of a turnaround at this point, and various investors will be left holding the bag – and a big bag at that.

For what it’s worth, critics stand by the film. He currently holds 88% Rotten tomatoes After its festival last year. /Film’s Jacob Hall Watch the film at Fantastic Fest and The Best Man called it “an unrated swing, which I can’t help but admire” in his review.

The film is inspired by the true story of the rise, fall and comeback of British pop star Robbie Williams. Told from Williams’ perspective, it traces his journey from childhood to becoming the youngest member of chart-topping band Take That to his return as a solo artist, all while showcasing the challenges that come with fame. And yes, he is depicted as a CGI monkey.

It’s hard to say who will get more serious bruises here. Sina Studios, Facing East Entertainment, Rocket Science, Lost Bandits, and Footloose Productions were all involved, with several distributors purchasing the rights around the world. What’s clear is that “Better Man” will only recoup a small portion of its massive budget. It is now at great risk of becoming one of the biggest bombs ever, without exaggeration. This doesn’t mean the movie is bad, Because a lot of box office bombs are great movies to watch. However, this means that a lot of money will be lost in the short term.

In terms of comparisons, the film is in lousy company. Eddie Murphy “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” is arguably the biggest box office bomb in historytaking in a disastrous $7 million against a massive $100 million budget. As it stands, “Better Man” falls into the same budget and box office territory. The CV is largely cooked locally. Barring a marked shift abroad, the outlook will not improve.

So, what went wrong here? First, a fair number of Americans have never heard of Robbie Williams, which makes him a difficult sell. Musicals, with the exception of animated musicals, are difficult to turn, even under the best of circumstances, into successful films anyway. “Villain” and “Wonka” are more exceptions than the rule. In the end, this was a completely baffling way to spend $110 million. I talked a little bit about this on today’s episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:

“The Better Man” is now in theaters.