The disastrous start of the film turned Robbie Williams into a chimp
- A biopic about Robbie Williams released in December 2024 features him portrayed through a CGI chimpanzee's head.
- The film's production initially faced challenges with visual effects, leading to a character that looked bizarre.
- Despite the challenges, the film attempts to connect emotionally with audiences and may influence future music biopics.
In December 2022, the inventive biopic featuring a depiction of the renowned musician Robbie Williams was released in the UK. The film took a unique approach by having actor Jonno Davies portray Williams through the use of CGI, wherein he performed behind the digital face of a chimpanzee. This decision was part of director Michael Gracey's creative vision, intended to offer a fresh and novel perspective not previously seen in the genre of music biopics. With this approach, Gracey sought to avoid the typical representations of musicians, instead offering a character study that involved using animal characteristics to explore themes of fame and personal struggle. Initial attempts to create realistic visuals faced significant challenges, as the visual effects team worked to ensure that the CGI chimp did not result in what is often referred to as the “uncanny valley,” where animated figures can evoke discomfort in viewers due to their lifelike yet not fully human appearance. British visual effects supervisor Luke Millar reported that these efforts began poorly, yielding results that resembled a