Daniel Radcliffe has been cast as “Weird Al” Yankovic in an upcoming biopic about the prolific parody singer. The film, which is titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, is set to stream exclusively on The Roku Channel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Yankovic co-wrote the script for the movie with Eric Appel, who will also direct and executive produce the feature. Funny or Die and Tango are producing Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which is set to begin shooting in Los Angeles early next month. The feature comes after Appel, a Funny or Die alum, helmed a short film of the same name for the production company in 2010.
A description for the biopic states that its story holds nothing back in exploring every facet of Yankovic’s life, from his meteoric rise to fame with such early hit singles as 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 the singer’s life and career, from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time.
Known for parodying the works of his musical contemporaries, Yankovic is the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. His 2014 release, Mandatory Fun, was the first comedy album in history to debut at number one on Billboard’s Top 200. He’s also one of only three artists – including Michael Jackson and Madonna – to land top 40 hits in each of the last four decades.
“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,” the five-time Grammy Award-winning singer said. “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.”
In addition to releasing his acclaimed parody records, Yankovic has also garnered nearly 200 screen credits since 1983. He wrote and starred in UHF, a comedy that has become a cult classic since its release. The musician also notably hosted his own television series, The Weird Al Show, for CBS in 1997. He has also appeared as himself on such shows as American Dad!, Children’s Hospital and 30 Rock. The entertainer also recently starred in Bill & Ted Face the Music and the now-defunct Quibi platform’s revival of Reno 911!, which moved over to Roku.
Appel jokingly chimed in on why he became involved in co-scribing, directing and producing Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. “When “Weird Al” 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,” he stated.
“There clearly aren’t enough biopic movies about famous musicians, and we were excited to shine a light on the incredibly true, unexaggerated story of Weird Al,” Colin Davis, Roku’s head of original scripted programming, also humorously noted about the biopic. “This is sincerely the ultimate combination of talent, creativity and friends, coming together to make something genuinely funny, and we could not be prouder to call this film a Roku Original.”
Funny Or Die’s Chairman, Henry Muñoz III, who’s serving as an executive producer on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, also discussed his enthusiasm of working on the feature. “I am excited that my first project as the owner of Funny Or Die Studios is to help bring the story of “Weird Al” Yankovic to the screen. “Weird Al” is a comic genius and his impact on pop culture, his mastery of the music video, his award-winning music and his incredible life are a perfect fit for the talented producers at FOD.
“We are honored to partner with Roku, Tango and our director Eric Appel on this important movie. WEIRD has brought together a weird and wonderful team of creative people, to tell the story of a man who has made people laugh and sing across the world,” Muñoz III concluded.