Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe has been cast in the title role in WEIRD: The Weird Al Yankovic Story – Roku will produce the biopic.
Since the end of the Harry Potter films, Daniel Radcliffe has carved his own path in the film industry with increasingly weird and wonderful roles. Now, he is following up leading roles in Swiss Army Man, Guns Akimbo, and Escape From Pretoria with a biopic. It will focus on the career of Grammy-winning musician Weird Al Yankovic, and Radcliffe has been cast in the title role.
Titled WEIRD: The Weird Al Yankovic Story, the film will be available for free exclusively on the Roku Channel, The Wrap reports. It will be Roku’s first original biopic, and it’s being produced by Funny Or Die and Tango. Yankovic himself has a hand in the film, which he has co-written alongside Eric Appel, who will also direct. Appel is no stranger to comedy, having directed episodes of New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Yankovic is known for his comedic songs that often parody music by popular contemporary artists. Since his first comedy song was released in 1976, the artist has won five Grammy Awards and is now the best-selling comedy artist ever.
It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the first version of WEIRD: The Weird Al Yankovic Story to be made. A parody Yankovic biopic of the same name was released in 2010, and was directed by the very same Eric Appel. The film poked fun at other biopics about musicians, and Yankovic was played by Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul. It’s possible this upcoming biopic may take its subject a bit more seriously this time. Here’s the official synopsis.
“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. 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”.
WEIRD: The Weird Al Yankovic Story begins production next month in Los Angeles. More news as we hear it.
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