2024’sBetter Manhas failed very badly at the box office, which makes the movie’s behind-the-scenes connection to another massive musical story all the more surprising.Better Manis a fantastical biopic depicting thelife and career of British pop star Robbie Williams. Although the project has been well-received by critics,Better Manhasn’t managed to make back much at all of its $110 million budget. When compared with the director’s last movie beforeBetter Man, his recent flop comes as a huge shock.
Williams sort of leads theBetter Mancast. As well as taking on the movie’s narration duties, his CGI ape counterpart is a motion-captured character with a physical performance provided by Jonno Davies. AlthoughBetter Manisn’t really a contender to join the list ofbest biopics of all time, it does still have a certain charm and great moments that have unfortunately not been seen by as many people as intended - unlike its predecessor.
Michael Gracey’s Better Man Has Performed Far Worse Than The Greatest Showman
Hugh Jackman’s 2017 musical sensation was the last movie Gracey directed before Better Man
Despite its surprisingly high budget,Better Manhas struggled to scrape by the $10 million mark at the box office, and it doesn’t look like it will be making it anywhere near breaking even. However, consideringthe movie is a comeback for the director of the hugely successfulThe Greatest Showman- Michael Gracey -Better Man’s shortcomings become even more notable.The Greatest Showmanhad a budget of $84 million, which was far less than that ofBetter Man, and yet the musical P.T. Barnum biopic managed to rake in a staggering $469 million (viaBox Office Mojo).
Despite a strong marketing campaign allowing news ofBetter Man’s release to be known, far fewer people have gone to see it.
Even ignoringThe Greatest Showman’s financial triumphs,the Hugh Jackman-led feelgood movie became an international phenomenon, with buzz and enthusiasm surrounding the project lasting for a significant amount of time. Inversely, despite a strong marketing campaign allowing news ofBetter Man’s release to be known, far fewer people have gone to see it, and those talking about it are doing so for all the wrong reasons.
Why Better Man Has Flopped So Spectacularly Compared To The Greatest Showman
Robbie Williams just doesn’t have the universal draw that Hugh Jackman has
AlthoughWilliams has enjoyed a stellar music career in parts of the world, primarily in the UK, he has never been able to make any kind of significant impact in the US. So, although it has scored well with critics,Better Manjust doesn’t have a big enough name as its star to draw in American audiences - even the with weirdly creative edge of having Williams portrayed as a monkey. Even in the UK, he is probably past the peak of his fame, and as such, deciding to tell his story on such a major stage is even more confusing.
The Greatest Showman: All 9 Songs Ranked From Worst To Best
The Greatest Showman saw Hugh Jackman become P.T. Barnum in a whirlwind of music and showmanship. But which song have we had a million dreams about?
By comparison,The Greatest Showmanhas one of the biggest names in Hollywood leading the cast- Hugh Jackman. Although P.T. Barnum may not have been a household name at the time of the movie’s release,The Greatest Showmannever claimed to be a particularly accurate account of the entertainer’s life. Instead, it’s more about watching Jackman and his fellow cast members strut their stuff to an award-winning original soundtrack. In short,Better Manhad almost no remaining pieces of the formula that Gracey made sure he had in place forThe Greatest Showman.
Better Man
Cast
Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man explores the life and career of singer Robbie Williams through his own eyes.
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman tells the incredible true story of P.T. Barnum and his famous circus. The film chronicles the rise of Barnum (Hugh Jackman) from a penniless dreamer to a wealthy and well-respected gentleman, establishing his circus with the help of playwright Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron). Telling Barnum’s unbelievable story in a musical format, The Greatest Showman showcases all the highs and lows of the infamous character’s professional life.
