A Bizarre Biopic Is The First Big Box Office Bomb Of 2025

2025 is already off to a better start at the box office than at this point in 2024. Late year holdovers such as "Mufasa: The Lion King," "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," and Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" have been doing big business at the box office. We also just had our first new hit of the year in the form of "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" (check out our interview with that film's writer/director here). Unfortunately, it hasn't been a party for everyone. Namely, anyone who has even a dime invested in the Robbie Williams biopic "Better Man" could probably use a drink, as that movie is now a certifiable, massive flop.

For those who may not be aware of the film, it's a musical biopic documenting the story of pop star Robbie Williams. The catch? Williams is portrayed by a CGI ape. Despite the wild hook, audiences haven't seemed to care very much. "Better Man" expanded into nearly 1,300 screens this past weekend and made just over $1 million. It's a disaster for Paramount Pictures, who picked up the domestic rights in North America, France, and Japan for $25 million. Though it is technically a 2024 release, the film's fate was sealed after its domestic expansion this year. 

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. The biopic, which was directed by Michael Gracey ("The Greatest Showman"), carries a reported $110 million budget. To make matters much, much worse, it already disappointed in the UK, where Williams is a much bigger star. How bad is it? With just $8.8 million overseas, the film has earned a grand total of $10 million worldwide. There is virtually no chance of a turnaround at this point and the various investors will be left holding the bag — and a big bag, at that.

For what it's worth, critics are on the film's side. It currently holds an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes following its festival run last year. /Film's Jacob Hall saw the film at Fantastic Fest and called "Better Man" an "unclassifiable swing, and one that I can't help but admire" in his review.

The film is based on the true story of the rise, fall, and resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. It's told from Williams' perspective, tracing his journey from childhood to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That through his comeback as a solo artist, all while showcasing the challenges that come with fame. And yes, he's portrayed as a CGI ape.

It's tough to say who is going to be bruised most badly here. Sina Studios, Facing East Entertainment, Rocket Science, Lost Bandits, and Footloose Productions were all involved, with various distributors purchasing rights around the world. What's clear is that "Better Man" is only going to make back a fraction of its massive budget. It's now at serious risk of becoming one of the biggest bombs of all time, without hyperbole. That's not to say the movie is bad, as plenty of box office bombs are great movies worth watching. It does mean, however, that a lot of money will be lost in the short term.

In terms of comparisons, the movie is in lousy company. Eddie Murphy's "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" is arguably the biggest box office bomb in history, taking in a tragic $7 million against a whopping $100 million budget. As it stands, "Better Man" is in similar budget/box office territory. The biopic is pretty much cooked domestically. Barring a remarkable turnaround overseas, the outlook won't get better.

So, what went wrong here? For one, quite a few Americans have never even heard of Robbie Williams, which makes it a tough sell. Musicals, save for animated musicals, even under the best of circumstances, are hard to fashion into hits anyhow. "Wicked" and "Wonka" are more exceptions than they are the rule. In the end, this was an absolutely baffling way to spend $110 million. I spoke a bit about this on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:

"Better Man" is in theaters now.