Fans of musical legend Weird Al Yankovic are eagerly looking forward to the release of a biopic about his life, titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
The upcoming film is slated to release on the Roku Channel on Nov. 4, 2022, and offers up a humorous take on Yankovic’s life, loosely based on reality. The biographical parody flick stars Daniel Radcliffe in the role of Al, alongside Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, and Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey.
The casting of Radcliffe, in particular, piqued fan interest when word spread that he would portray the beloved musical icon. Radcliffe is a treasured actor in Hollywood, with a range of roles that truly touch on nearly every genre, but he is of course best known for his role as Harry Potter in the film series of the same name. Radcliffe has come a long way from his days on the Harry Potter set, however, and fans are looking forward to seeing his take on Yankovic when the film officially drops.
In a recent AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, Yankovic and Radcliffe combined their star power to answer fan questions about the film. One answer riled up particular interest, after an eager viewer asked Yankovic about Radcliffe’s casting. They asked how he was selected as the lead in the film, and if Yankovic had any say in his casting.
Yankovic’s answer heaps praise on Radcliffe’s history as an actor, praising his tendency to select odd, fringe roles, and notes the pair’s many similarities. Noting that he’s “always been incredibly impressed by Dan’s acting, particularly his range,” Yankovic revealed that he did, in fact, have a hand in Radcliffe’s casting. Calling the younger man “phenomenal” in both dramatic and comedic roles, Yankovic revealed that his flavor of talent is perfect for the biopic.
“Even though this movie is a comedy, we wanted it to play like a very serious Oscar-bait Hollywood biopic,” he said. “That tone is very specific and hard to pull off, and we knew Daniel would absolutely nail it.”
Praising Radcliffe for his “weird” roles in the years since Harry Potter ended, Yankovic also revealed that he’s long “had a strong feeling that we were kind of kindred spirits,” particularly after learning that Radcliffe, like him, holds “an admiration for musical comedy legend Tom Lehrer,” a fact that sealed the deal on his casting.
Yankovic and Radcliffe certainly seem to get along well, a fact that can only mean good news for the Yankovic biopic. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story premiered back in early September at the Toronto International Film Festival, and will arrive on the Roku Channel on Nov. 4.
