Daniel Radcliffe is taking on his weirdest role yet, playing the part of real-life parody songwriter and comedian Weird Al Yankovic! The film, titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, is a biopic similar to the style of Bohemian Rhapsody which followed the only slightly dramatized lives of the members of Queen. Viewers can expect music, comedy, iconically untamable hair and epic mustaches to rival the greats.  

The movie is described as being the untold true story of Yankovic, documenting Weird Al’s rise to fame with early hits like “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon”. It’s really more of a scripted mockumentary, spoofing tropes that run rampant in self-important biopics. In this way I’m anticipating the movie will be similar to the themes and flair for the dramatic that we saw in Lil Dicky’s series Dave.

I’m excited about both the concept and casting of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story! My first introduction to Weird Al was hearing “The Saga Begins” in the back of my dad’s Jeep a long, long time ago. It hooked me on parody music, a genre I still actively listen to today. Weird Al paved the way and inspired a new generation of comedy songwriters, bringing the genre into pop culture so I’m glad he is getting more recognition. Daniel Radcliffe is also an excellent choice for a young, funky Weird Al if his performance in Miracle Workers is any indication of the energy he will bring to the role. 

Roku released the teaser trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, produced by Funny Or Die and Tango, at its 2022 NewFronts presentation Tuesday. Yankovic co-wrote the film’s script with Eric Appel, who is also directing. The movie will stream on the Roku Channel this fall, with no release date set yet. You can watch the trailer below.

Be sure to comment and tell us what you think! Which Weird Al hit is your favorite? Will you be adding this one to your watch list?

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