It is sometimes amazing to see what directors who have made a successful movie can get away with. One hit, and studios are willing to hand these people a fortune for their dream projects. Heaven’s Gate comes to mind as one archetypal example, but there are many other misfires from award-winning filmmakers. A few years ago director Michael Gracey scored a surprise smash with an original musical, The Greatest Showman. And now he has a new musical film about British pop star Robbie Williams — with a CGI monkey in the leading role.
That’s right, a monkey. This fact was kept under wraps before the first Telluride screening of Better Man. But I guess now the ape is out of the bag. Good luck to Paramount, who will release the movie in December.
In the past there have been classic movies with monkeys as central characters — King Kong, of course,...
That’s right, a monkey. This fact was kept under wraps before the first Telluride screening of Better Man. But I guess now the ape is out of the bag. Good luck to Paramount, who will release the movie in December.
In the past there have been classic movies with monkeys as central characters — King Kong, of course,...
- 9/3/2024
- by Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for (woah woah!): “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey has returned from whatever alien planet he comes from, and he’s brought another electrifyingly demented musical biopic along with him. This one’s a long-overdue corrective to the wave of fully authorized, insufferably generic rise-fall-recover stories that have turned celebrity estates into every film critic’s greatest threat.
“Better Man” tells the story of Robbie Williams, the bad boy of British pop, and it’s a story you’ve heard a thousand times before. A big-eyed kid dreams of becoming a star in order to fix the hole in his heart; he achieves more success than he ever dared to imagine; it affords him the money to make his problems so much worse at the expense of his personal relationships; and then he snaps out of it before it’s too late.
“Better Man” tells the story of Robbie Williams, the bad boy of British pop, and it’s a story you’ve heard a thousand times before. A big-eyed kid dreams of becoming a star in order to fix the hole in his heart; he achieves more success than he ever dared to imagine; it affords him the money to make his problems so much worse at the expense of his personal relationships; and then he snaps out of it before it’s too late.
- 9/2/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
When Robbie Williams told an interviewer that he felt like a performing monkey, he didn’t mean it literally. But that’s exactly how “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey interprets the remark in “Better Man,” an off-the-wall musical biopic that surely would have seemed banal — as opposed to downright bananas — had it featured a flesh-and-blood actor in the Robbie Williams role.
Gracey takes audiences through all the expected beats of Williams’ career, from his breakthrough as a member of Take That to his record-breaking solo concert at Knebworth, but does so with a CG chimpanzee standing in for the Britpop bad boy. Against all odds, that gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies. If you want to fawn over this boy-band backup singer-turned-solo superstar for four hours, check out the “Robbie Williams” doc series on Netflix. But if you want to see a chimp doing coke with Oasis,...
Gracey takes audiences through all the expected beats of Williams’ career, from his breakthrough as a member of Take That to his record-breaking solo concert at Knebworth, but does so with a CG chimpanzee standing in for the Britpop bad boy. Against all odds, that gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies. If you want to fawn over this boy-band backup singer-turned-solo superstar for four hours, check out the “Robbie Williams” doc series on Netflix. But if you want to see a chimp doing coke with Oasis,...
- 9/2/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount wasn’t messing around during their CinemaCon panel today, giving attendees previews of movies like Smile 2, Gladiator II, A Quiet Place: Day One, Transformers One, and If, revealing The Running Man casting news, and announcing several movies, including a live-action comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Scary Movie 6, a Transformers / G.I. Joe crossover, and a live-action, R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. They also unveiled several titles on their 2024 – 2026 slate, and we can’t possibly cover them all… so we have gone ahead and dropped the full list into this article. Scroll down to see what Paramount has in store for us over the next couple years.
If
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Written and Directed by: John Krasinski
Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio
Cast: Cailey Fleming,...
If
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Written and Directed by: John Krasinski
Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio
Cast: Cailey Fleming,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
After paying a reported $25m for North American rights to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, Paramount has set a December 25 exclusive release, expanding wide on January 17, 2025.
Paramount reportedly paid $25m for North American rights to the feature in early February and is building its stable of musicals or music-related films.
Bob Marley: One Love ranks number one in its second weekend on release in North America and has grossed $71m, while the Mean Girls musical ranked number one for three weekends in January and earned more than $72m.
Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, directs Better Man,...
Paramount reportedly paid $25m for North American rights to the feature in early February and is building its stable of musicals or music-related films.
Bob Marley: One Love ranks number one in its second weekend on release in North America and has grossed $71m, while the Mean Girls musical ranked number one for three weekends in January and earned more than $72m.
Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, directs Better Man,...
- 2/28/2024
- ScreenDaily
A long-gestating reboot of the “Naked Gun” franchise with Liam Neeson is finally moving forward at Paramount, landing a release date of July 18, 2025.
The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. The new movie is based off the widely popular “Naked Gun” franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.
Meanwhile, two successful animated franchises’ next films have also been added to Paramount’s release schedule. “Paw Patrol 3,” a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, is slated for July 31, 2026 with distribution from Paramount Pictures. The follow-up to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from director Jeff Rowe and produced by Point Grey Pictures...
The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. The new movie is based off the widely popular “Naked Gun” franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.
Meanwhile, two successful animated franchises’ next films have also been added to Paramount’s release schedule. “Paw Patrol 3,” a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, is slated for July 31, 2026 with distribution from Paramount Pictures. The follow-up to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from director Jeff Rowe and produced by Point Grey Pictures...
- 2/28/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Buoyed by the overperformance of music-driven films Bob Marley: One Love and Mean Girls, Paramount Pictures has slotted Better Man for an exclusive qualifying release on December 25, followed by a wide theatrical release on January 17 in the heat of awards season. The film is an original musical by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey, based on the life and music of singer Robbie Williams.
Paramount earlier this month made a $25 million commitment for North American rights to the film, one of the largest indie film rights deals in years. The studio believes it has a winner — it leaned into Bob Marley and the film has so far grossed north of $123M worldwide on a $70 million budget. The challenge on Better Man will come in the marketing: North America is about the only place on the planet where Williams is not a megastar singer, even though he spends most of his time in the U.
Paramount earlier this month made a $25 million commitment for North American rights to the film, one of the largest indie film rights deals in years. The studio believes it has a winner — it leaned into Bob Marley and the film has so far grossed north of $123M worldwide on a $70 million budget. The challenge on Better Man will come in the marketing: North America is about the only place on the planet where Williams is not a megastar singer, even though he spends most of his time in the U.
- 2/28/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
In a huge deal for a film originating in the independent marketplace, Paramount Pictures sources have confirmed the studio’s acquisition of North American rights to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.
Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, will direct the film about the life of the former Take That band member who went on to become a solo star.
Paramount is eying an end of year theatrical release after negotiating the deal with CAA Media Finance and reportedly paying $25m. Rocket Science has sold out international rights.
The Better Man deal comes as Paramount continues...
Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, will direct the film about the life of the former Take That band member who went on to become a solo star.
Paramount is eying an end of year theatrical release after negotiating the deal with CAA Media Finance and reportedly paying $25m. Rocket Science has sold out international rights.
The Better Man deal comes as Paramount continues...
- 2/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Paramount Pictures has stepped up for a $25 million commitment for North American theatrical rights to Better Man, a fantastical original musical directed by Michael Gracey, helmer of the blockbuster musical The Greatest Showman. The film is about the unlikely rise of celebrated singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.
The deal marks the year’s biggest North American deal for an independent film in years, and Paramount is going to give it a full theatrical release, eyeing later this year. Studio is coming off the success of Mean Girls, which led the box office last month and grossed $92 million worldwide so far. It also is aggressively rolling out globally Bob Marley: One Love, a film that bows February 14, as Paramount leans into films in the musical space.
Rolling out Better Man late in the year gives the studio plenty of time to address a challenge in the U.S. and Canada for the conundrum that is Robbie Williams.
The deal marks the year’s biggest North American deal for an independent film in years, and Paramount is going to give it a full theatrical release, eyeing later this year. Studio is coming off the success of Mean Girls, which led the box office last month and grossed $92 million worldwide so far. It also is aggressively rolling out globally Bob Marley: One Love, a film that bows February 14, as Paramount leans into films in the musical space.
Rolling out Better Man late in the year gives the studio plenty of time to address a challenge in the U.S. and Canada for the conundrum that is Robbie Williams.
- 2/6/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Filming will begin in Melbourne in early 2022.
Michael Gracey’s Better Man, a biopic of UK singer Robbie Williams, will begin shooting in Melbourne, Australia in early 2022.
London-based Rocket Science is handling international sales on the project to which Roadshow Films has Australia and New Zealand rights.
The film will shoot at the city’s Docklands Studios, and is expected to create 2,200 local jobs for the industry in Victoria, of which Melbourne is the state capital. That figure includes 220 crew and 14 local heads of department; there will also be more than 2,700 extras, plus work for an estimated 300 local business.
It...
Michael Gracey’s Better Man, a biopic of UK singer Robbie Williams, will begin shooting in Melbourne, Australia in early 2022.
London-based Rocket Science is handling international sales on the project to which Roadshow Films has Australia and New Zealand rights.
The film will shoot at the city’s Docklands Studios, and is expected to create 2,200 local jobs for the industry in Victoria, of which Melbourne is the state capital. That figure includes 220 crew and 14 local heads of department; there will also be more than 2,700 extras, plus work for an estimated 300 local business.
It...
- 12/3/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
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