FilmmakerMichael Graceyremembers a stressful moment in makingThe Greatest Showman, the 2017 movie musical sensation starringHugh Jackmanas P.T.
“We would never create music as good as what we already had,” Gracey tellsEntertainment Weekly.
“I ended up going over to Rob’s house on a Sunday,” the director remembers.
Robbie Williams on set of musical biopic ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
“He was clapping after some of the numbers.
He was tapping his foot,” Gracey recalls.
“Technically, without Rob, there would be noGreatest Showman,” Gracey notes.
Jonno Davies performs Robbie Williams as a CG monkey through performance-capture in ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
“Even stuff like that makes you smile.
So, yeah, it definitely does have the DNA ofGreatest Showman.”
All the other characters, however, appear human.
Jonno Davies, in performance-capture gear (center), as Robbie Williams behind the scenes of ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
The idea came from one of many conversations Gracey had with Williams over the years.
“I said to Rob, ‘If you’re an animal, how would you see yourself?’
And he immediately said lion, with a big grin,” the director says.
Jonno Davies as Robbie Williams, Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton in ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
“I thought in my head,No, that’s not going to work.
So I said to him, ‘Really?’
He paused for a minute and went, ‘Nah!
Alison Steadman as Betty, Robbie Williams’ grandmother, in ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
Actually, I’m more of a monkey, like a cheeky monkey.'
The moment he said that, I was like, ‘That’show I want to portray you.'”
financiers, studio executives, etc.).
Director Michael Gracey behind the scenes of ‘Better Man’.Paramount Pictures
Those were “some of the shortest meetings of my life,” Gracey admits.
“I’d say, ‘Just one thing: Rob’s going to be portrayed as a monkey.’
I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no.
‘Better Man’ recreates ‘One Night With Robbie Williams Live’.Paramount Pictures
The checkbook would close.
It was an insult because I don’t know why people thought it was too big a risk.”
Then Weta, the special effects wizards behindApesandLord of the Rings, decided to monkey around Williams.
“It’s literally how I could convince people that this was going to work.”
Gracey andBetter Manhave come a long way since those humble meetings.
“Technically, Knebworth was a huge undertaking,” Gracey remarks.
However, the Regent Street sequence for “Rock DJ” remains the most stressful piece.
The day before they were to start filming that particular number, Queen Elizabeth II died.
“It’s 10 days of mourning, then they had the funeral, then they had the coronation.
It took us another five months to get back onto Regent Street.
And just so you know, there’s no insurance for the death of the Queen.
We had to go and raise that money again.
People on the producing side were like, ‘Well, you don’treallyneed that number.’
I’m like, ‘No, no, no.
Wedefinitelyneed this number.'”
It’s now one of the best sequences in the entire film and works on multiple levels.
“To them, it’s more like watching an original musical a laThe Greatest Showman.
I love that as an audience.”
Better Manpremieres in select U.S. theaters this Dec. 25 before going wide on Jan. 17.
