Robbie Williams on how Queen Elizabeth II’s death cost millions
Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man, faced a massive setback after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
The film’s director, Michael Gracey had planned a grand dance number set on London’s Regent Street, but just days before filming was set to begin, the Queen passed away, leading to a national period of mourning.
In an interview with Hello! Gracey revealed when the Queen passed away, the government declared a 10-day period of mourning, which resulted in the cancellation of all non-essential filming, including the Regent Street scene.
“we were feeling feeling very buoyant, because the first night of filming was Sunday night, and we got a call from the Crown Estate to tell us that the Queen had just died and we wouldn’t be shooting because there’s 10 days of mourning. So we lost all of the money. There’s no insurance for the death of the Queen,” he stated.
Gracey went on to say, “People will say to you: No, there is, because it’s force majeure, and you say; No, it’s not. It’s civil authority that shuts you down with the death of the Queen, and after COVID, civil authority was capped at 250 grand payouts.”
“So we lost millions of dollars, and it took another five months to get back on that street, and we had to raise the money again. And every time I watch it, I think people have no idea how close we came to that not being in the film,” he added.