Why British pop star Robbie Williams is played by a CGI monkey in the bizarre but critically acclaimed biopic ‘Better Man’

Gracey looked to Weta FX, the famed visual effects company behind CGI work seen in “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the rebooted “Planet of the Apes” franchise, to help bring his vision to life.

In “Better Man,” actor Jonno Davies wore a motion capture suit so his movements and expressions could be recorded. Williams, meanwhile, contributed his voice — and thanks to CGI technology, it’s his real eyes that audiences see shining out of the excitable primate’s face.

Gracey said the whole process ended up doubling the movie’s budget.

While the exact figure hasn’t been revealed, Metro previously reported that industry sources had put it at around $100 million.

Still, Gracey was willing to take a bet on the film — even if audiences in the US are not as familiar with Williams and his work. The singer had limited success in America at the height of his career in the nineties and early 2000s but is one of the best-selling artists of all time and a household name in the UK and Europe.

Over a career that has spanned more than 30 years, the singer has reportedly built a net worth of almost $300 million.

Critics have praised the film for its originality

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in late August and received a standing ovation, The Times reported. Since then, there has been an outpour of positive reviews from critics, who also got a chance to see the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Maureen Lee Lenker described the film as “beautifully emotional and engaging,” adding that it is “refreshingly honest for a musical biopic that has the involvement of its subject.”

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich praised the film’s innovative framing, writing: “It’s hard to overstate how dramatically Williams’ hooligan persona — and the movie’s fantastical illustration thereof — transform otherwise rote material into something fresh.”

“Against all odds, that gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies,” Variety’s Peter Debruge added.

“Better Man” will be released in selected theaters in the US on December 25, with a wider release set for January 17.