Yahoo Movies Robbie Williams and Better Man cast reveal 'mind-blowing' reaction to CGI monkey
Robbie Williams, Michael Gracey, Jonno Davies, Raechelle Banno talk about the 'magic' of the CGI monkey in the movie.
Watch: Better Man stars share their first reaction to the CGI monkey
Robbie Williams and the Better Man cast have shared their reactions to seeing the CGI monkey for the first time.
Seeing the primate — which is how the Take That star is portrayed in his biopic — brought to life, Williams told Yahoo it was: "Mind-blowing. Absolutely mind-blowing. Oh my god."
Better Man captures the pop icon's rise to superstardom as a solo artist from his time in boyband Take That, his whirlwind romance with Nicole Appleton to his drug addiction and complicated relationship with his dad Pete.
What sets it massively apart from other musical biopics is that Williams is portrayed in the film as a CGI primate.
How did the Better Man stars react?
Leading man Jonno Davies — who takes on the role of Williams in Better Man — revealed the CGI monkey was so impressive it exceeded all expectations he had.
Monkeying around, Davies joked initially he thought the movie bosses were "pulling his leg" over the primate idea. He quipped: "I thought it was a big joke. Then I thought, oh I'm actually a monkey! You're taking the mick. No, it was amazing [seeing the monkey for the first time]."
Of the big unveil, he said: "When you actually see it, it only exceeds your expectation. The detail that they have from the tattoos and the fur, to the way that it sweats, the way that we interact.
"There's a scene where we [me and my on-screen lover Raechelle Banno] have an argument but they're cuddling at the beginning of the scene and you're playing with Rob's hair and even the way that the fur goes through the fingertips, it's just those little details that really elevate it and really take it to the next level. So impressive."
Raechelle Banno, who stars as Williams' past real-life lover Nicole Appleton, hailed the CGI as "magic". She said: "It’s a real achievement for Weta, honestly, they've done magic on screen."
Davies responded: "There's something iconic about chimpanzee having peroxide blond hair."
Banno added: "And an Adidas jumpsuit."
Director Michael Gracey was so impressed he never got used to seeing the CGI. "So there was a plasticky version, a previs, they call it. I'd got quite used to that version but when we saw the first fully rendered photo reel, it blew my mind.
"It was every single Friday that they delivered new shots. I never got used to the experience of seeing that monkey realised. It really was the most exciting thing I've ever been a part of."
How is the CGI monkey made?
Better Man enlisted Weta FX to bring the emotional primate to life. The special effects company were behind the creations of memorable characters Gollum in Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes
Gracey previously explained that they scanned Williams' eyes so "when you look at the monkey's eyes, it's actually one for one Rob's eyes."
Everyone on the film uses the terms "monkey" and "chimpanzee" interchangeably throughout interviews but technically it is a chimp because the CGI creation has no tail.
Better Man is released in UK cinemas on 26 December, 2024.
