Better Man, the terrific Robbie Williams biopic, features a jaw-dropping dance sequence set on London’s iconic Regent Street, all set to Williams’ hit song “Rock DJ.” But as director Michael Gracey revealed during a Q&A at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the scene came dangerously close to being scrapped due to an unprecedented complication: the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The elaborate number, involving 500 dancers, buses, and taxis, took 18 months of meticulous planning. But the logistical challenges of shooting on one of the busiest streets in the world weren’t the only hurdles. Gracey described the high stakes:
“It’s the hardest dance sequence I’ve ever shot, and I’ve done a lot of dance sequences. It’s Crown Land, so it’s owned by the Royals. You’re dealing with the Crown Estate, Westminster Council, and it’s also a bus route. If anyone produces films, you know this is a lethal combination… We had four nights. If we didn’t make any one of those nights, we didn’t have a number because it’s all done with a single camera motion, so it was very high pressure.”
The production rehearsed relentlessly to ensure everything went off without a hitch. However, just days before filming, tragedy struck.
“At the end of the week, we’re a finely tuned machine. And then we got a phone call from the estate of the Queen, who died. And we wouldn’t be shooting because there’s ten days of mourning. We already spent all the money for the shoot… So in that one moment, we lost the entire budget of the shoot. And there’s no insurance for the death of the Queen.”
Michael Gracey Felt the Movie Couldn’t Be Made Without the Sequence
The shutdown was a massive blow to the production, leaving Gracey and the team scrambling. With no insurance payout to cover the loss, many on the production suggested cutting the number altogether. But Gracey was adamant about its importance:
“A lot of the people involved in the production were saying we just cut the number because we lost the money. And I kept saying, it’s a really important number, and it is really important, not just because of the spectacle.”
It wasn’t until five months later—after the Queen’s funeral and King Charles’ coronation—that the production raised enough funds to reschedule the shoot. “Every time it plays, I just sit there going, people have no idea how close we came to not having that number,” said Gracey.
Better Man is currently playing in theaters.
Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man explores the life and career of singer Robbie Williams through his own eyes.
- Release Date
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December 25, 2024
- Cast
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robbie williams
, Jonno Davies
, Steve Pemberton
, Alison Steadman
, Damon Herriman
, Anthony Hayes
, Kate Mulvany - Main Genre
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Biography
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