When Robbie Williams biopic Better Man hits Australian screens on December 26, fans will get a unique look at the rise of a superstar.
But while the king of pop’s rise to fame took place in Europe, most of the glossy production was actually filmed in Melbourne.
Robbie, 48, tells a fictionalized version of his life that chronicles the UK-born hitmaker’s epic journey to stardom, from boy band heartthrob to stadium rocker.
Among the British locations recreated for the film was London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The Docklands studio was used to fabricate the famous theater for a scene depicting a landmark moment in Robbie’s career.
Well-known Melbourne locations used for filming included the Rod Laver Arena and the Intercontinental Melbourne hotel, the Cruden Farm in Langwarrin and the Fawkner Bowls club, the Herald of the sun on Saturday.
When Robbie Williams (pictured) biopic Better Man hits Australian screens on December 26, fans will get a unique insight into the rise of a superstar.
But even though the king of pop’s rise to fame took place in Europe and the UK, most of the glittering $173 million production was actually filmed in Melbourne. In the photo: a scene from the film.
The $173 million production also used the Crown Casino, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne City Hall, the Melbourne Pavilion and the Stella Maris Seafarers Center to stage scenes.
Filmed by Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey, who directed the box office hit The Greatest Showman, Better Man has been billed as a musical fantasy.
And in a strange move, young Robbie appears in the film as a monkey using CGI.
Motion capture techniques were used to transform actor Jonno Davies, 31, into a realistic humanoid “ape” creation.
Other cast members include Australian actors Kate Mulvany (The Great Gatsby) and Damon Herriman (Mr. InBetween).
Additionally, filmmaker and actor Anthony Hayes, whose feature film Gold is currently streaming on Stan, also appears.
Robbie first rose to fame in boy band Take That, before launching a successful solo career in 1996. A string of hit singles and albums followed in the UK.
In 2006, Robbie entered the Guinness Book of World Records after selling 1.6 million concert tickets in a single day.
Filmed by Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey, who directed the box office hit The Greatest Showman, Better Man has been billed as a musical fantasy. And in a strange move, young Robbie appears in the film as a monkey using CGI (pictured).
Robbie narrates the imaginative epic himself.
The filmmakers have been careful to avoid comparisons with recent musical biopics like the Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody and the Elton John story Rocketman.
In an official statement, the production said the film was “a satirical musical based on the life of a pop star.”
The film features “reimaginings” of Robbie’s hit songs and stunning visuals to explore the “inner demons” the superstar has had to battle both on and off stage.
While production took place at Docklands Studios in Melbourne during filming in 2022, some scenes were filmed overseas.
In Serbia, 2,000 extras were hired to recreate a Williams performance at the 2003 Knebworth Festival.
“Telling Robbie William’s beautiful and distinct story at home, in my own city, is a dream come true,” Gracey said in a statement.
“There is a creative energy burning in the Melbourne film industry and I know this film will thrive here.”
He went on to describe Robbie as an “everyman” who has an “incredibly relatable story” about chasing your dreams.
Meanwhile, Victorian Creative Industries Minister Colin Brooks told the Herald Sun the film was a big boost to the state’s economy.
Claiming his film was the largest production ever staged in Victoria, he said it created 2,920 jobs and injected $142 million into the state’s economy.