Things are about to get weird
Daniel Radcliffe to portray ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in new movie
Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the Harry Potter franchise, has been tapped to play "Weird Al" Yankovic in a movie about the parody performer’s life.
WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will be available on The Roku Channel, with production starting in February 2022. A release date for the movie has yet to be announced.
The all-new feature film about the prolific career of the Grammy-winning musician and pop cultural icon will be produced by comedy video site Funny Or Die, along with Tango.
See?? I’m not kidding about this! https://t.co/p1qww3R20v
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) January 18, 2022
Radcliffe will take on the titular role in the upcoming biopic, which will explore 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."
“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 tongue-in-cheek news release from Roku Tuesday (Jan. 18). “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.”
Things are about to get weird. Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in the all-new feature film WEIRD: The @AlYankovic Story, a Roku Original based on the career of the Grammy-winning musician and pop cultural icon. pic.twitter.com/ZNHOP3eJFv
— The Roku Channel (@TheRokuChannel) January 18, 2022
WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will take audiences on a “truly unbelievable journey through Yankovic’s life and career, from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time.”
Known for spoofing and parodying the works of his musical contemporaries, “Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time.
A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200.
Yankovic holds the distinction of being one of only three artists to have had their own top 40 hits in each of the last four decades (the other two being Michael Jackson and Madonna).
On August 27, 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded Weird Al with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The upcoming film is written by Al Yankovic and Eric Appel, who also serves as director and executive producer.
WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will exclusively stream on The Roku Channel.