Despite earning high praise from critics and audiences, glowing reviews don’t always guarantee box office success, and the biographical musical “Better Man” is a recent example. Boasting an impressive 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes (with an even higher 94% from audiences), one might expect the movie to make a significant impact at the box office. However, after its expanded U.S. theatrical release on January 10, 2025, “Better Man” has already been labeled a box office bomb.
According to Variety, the movie earned just $580,000 on its opening day when it expanded to 1,291 U.S. venues. So far it has earned over $10 million worldwide (a stark contrast to its reported $110 million production budget). Its lukewarm U.S. performance may stem from the limited recognition of British pop icon Robbie Williams among American audiences.
“Better Man” delves into the life of Robbie Williams with a bold and imaginative twist, portraying the singer as a CGI chimpanzee. This unique creative choice reflects his self-perception as a “performing monkey” and serves as a metaphor for his struggles with fame and addiction. The movie chronicles Williams' journey from his childhood in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to his rise as part of the boy band Take That, and ultimately his solo career and battles with personal demons.
If you’ve seen this movie being talked about online or you want to watch it again from the comfort of your couch, here’s what we know about the “Better Man” streaming release right now.
Our ‘Better Man’ streaming release speculation
As of January 13, there hasn’t been a confirmed streaming date yet for “Better Man.” But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about when it might arrive on streaming services.
“Better Man” was acquired by Paramount Pictures after it was produced independently, and movies from Paramount typically land on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms like Amazon and Apple TV about 30 to 45 days after their theatrical release. However, this timeline can vary depending on a movie’s box office performance. Given the underwhelming reception of “Better Man,” it’s possible the movie could arrive on PVOD even sooner, potentially as early as February 10, 2025.
As for streaming on Paramount Plus, the studio generally adds new releases to the platform 45 to 60 days after their theatrical run. For example, “A Quiet Place: Day One” became available 60 days post-release, while “Transformers One” arrived slightly earlier, on day 55. Following this pattern, “Better Man” could land on Paramount Plus by March 10, 2025, at the latest.
However, due to the movie’s lackluster box office performance, it’s possible Paramount could fast-track its streaming debut, making “Better Man” available on Paramount Plus by late February 2025.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see, so check back here for updates. In the meantime, you can stream this underrated dark thriller on Prime Video for free, or see what other movies to watch in theaters in January 2025.
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