‘Better Man’ Finally Hits a Tenth of Its Reported Budget at Global Box Office

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The last few years have been especially fortuitous for music biopics, but recent months have seen a couple of major bombs. In May, Focus Features debuted the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black in American theaters; the movie concluded its global run with just over $50 million, against a reported budget of $30 million. But a far more expensive music biopic is currently performing at a much lower level. Better Man, based on the life and career of pop-star Robbie Williams, only recently passed its first global box office milestone, and has now accomplished a rather unfortunate achievement; the film has recovered a tenth of its reported budget.

With just over $1 million domestically and $10 million from overseas markets, Better Man has generated a little more than $11 million worldwide. Directed by Michael Gracey, the movie was produced on a reported budget of $110 million. Why so expensive, you might correctly ask. Well, that would probably be because the movie features Williams as a CGI chimpanzee, like the ones you’d see in the Planet of the Apes films. While this admittedly unique creative choice likely escalated costs, the movie hasn’t exactly performed like a Planet of the Apes film. Better Man was funded independently, and acquired by Paramount for $25 million.

Gracey made his directorial debut with The Greatest Showman, a movie that wasn’t merely a box office hit – it grossed over $450 million worldwide – but also had a rather unique trajectory during its theatrical run. Released during the holidays, the movie delivered an uncommonly huge multiple; it grossed just $8 million in its domestic debut, and ultimately went on to generate nearly $175 million. But Better Man is witnessing no such luck, despite excellent reviews. The movie currently holds an 89% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and a slightly better 90% audience score.

‘Better Man’ Is Being Bested By Fellow Music Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

One of the possible reasons for its under-performance could be that Williams isn’t as recognizable in the U.S. as he is in Europe. But that wouldn’t explain its under-performance in several European territories. It will continue to be rolled out internationally in the coming weeks. The last few years have seen major music biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody ($910 million worldwide), Elvis (over $280 million worldwide), Straight Outta Compton ($201 million worldwide), Rocketman ($195 million worldwide), Bob Marley: One Love ($180 million worldwide), and more recently, A Complete Unknown (over $50 million worldwide). You can watch Better Man in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.