Of course it’s weird: Daniel Radcliffe will play ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in a new biopic
Daniel Radcliffe is about to get weird.
The “Harry Potter” star will play the lead role in a movie about the life of parody performer “Weird Al” Yankovic, the Roku Channel announced Tuesday. The movie — “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” — is being produced by comedy video site Funny or Die, along with Tango, so you can imagine how seriously they’re all taking it.
“The biopic 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,” the tongue-in-cheek press release said. (Just Google “Weird Al scandals” to see how many there are.)
“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,” Yankovic said in a statement.
“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.”
Nearly 40 years ago “Weird Al” Yankovic began building his fan base the old-fashioned way: radio.
The Times reviewed “UHF” back in the day, with the critic writing, “As an actor, Yankovic alternates between screaming and staring confusedly into space.”
The biopic will be directed by Eric Appel, who co-wrote the script with Yankovic.
“When Weird Al first sat me down against my will and told me his life story, I didn’t believe any of it,” Appel said in the press release, “but I knew that we had to make a movie about it.”
The movie will be available exclusively via the Roku Channel at some point in the future. It starts production early next month in Los Angeles.
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