Actor Daniel Radcliffe will star as famed parody musician Weird Al Yankovic in a new film about the singer's life titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The new film will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel and will tell the life story of the five-time Grammy award-winning musician behind classic parody songs such as "Amish Paradise" and "White & Nerdy."
In an official statement, Yankovic wrote “When my last movie UHF came out in 1989, I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major motion picture every 33 years, like clockwork. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule, and I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film. I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.”
Yankovic co-wrote the script with writer/director Eric Appel, who will also serve as director and executive producer on the film. Appel has previously worked as a director on several TV series, including NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The New Girl. In 2010 Appel and Yankovic produced a fake parody trailer with Funny Or Die for a Weird Al biopic that featured Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul in the lead role. "When Weird Al first sat me down against my will and told me his life story, I didn’t believe any of it, but I knew that we had to make a movie about it,” Appel said in a statement.
The official description for the new film reads, “holds nothing back, exploring every facet of Yankovic’s life, from his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like ‘Eat It’ and ‘Like a Surgeon’ to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story takes audiences on a truly unbelievable journey through Yankovic’s life and career, from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time.” The biopic begins production in Los Angeles in early February.
Music biopics have long been a staple of Hollywood cinema. Previous examples of this sub-genre include Walk The Line, which saw Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, and more recently Universal Pictures 2021 film Respect saw academy-award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson portray famed singer Aretha Franklin. These films tend to be award's bait, meaning they rack up dozens of awards and nominations, especially for leading actors who step into the shoes of these cultural icons. Based on Yankovic's statement and the official description of the film, audiences can probably expect something very different from The Al Yankovic Story. True to his comedic nature, it seems Weird Al's biopic will be more of a parody of the genre rather than a dramatic depiction of the artist's life.
In recent years Radcliffe, best known for playing Harry Potter in the film adaptations of the popular novels, has branched out in his career, taking on increasingly risky and bizarre roles. This includes 2019's Guns Akimbo, where he plays a man who wakes up with two guns strapped to his hands, and Swiss Army Man, which saw Radcliffe portray a flatulent corpse who comes to life. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is just the latest in this actor's fascinating career. Radcliffe was also recently featured in HBO Max's Harry Potter reunion special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, in which the actor reunited with his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to discuss the films and their legacy,
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story doesn't have an official release date, but the film will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel.
Source: Roku