Daniel Radcliffe will portray “Weird Al” Yankovic for an upcoming Roku biopic about the parody singer, known for hit songs like “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon.”
TV & Movies The actor is going from wizardry to “White & Nerdy.” “Weird Al” Yankovic has been known to embody other notable pop culture figures since his debut in 1976, releasing iconic hit parody songs from “Eat It” and “Fat” (Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and “Bad,” respectively) to “White & Nerdy” (Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone’s “Ridin’”). But after more than four decades in the game, it’s time for someone else to step into the legendary comedic musician’s shoes. On Jan.18, Roku Channel announced a biopic about Yankovic, titled WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, is currently in the works. Produced by Funny or Die and Tango, the biographical comedy is set to star Daniel Radcliffe as the A-list song spoofer. Here’s everything you need to know about WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, including its plot, cast, trailer, and release date. Born Oct.23,1959, Yankovic was raised Christian and rose to fame after one of his first songs, “Belvedere Cruisin’,” was played on comedic DJ Dr. Demento’s Southern California-based radio show — which his mom banned him from listening to — at just 16 years old. His parody songs received national attention in the ’80s and have since garnered praise and respect from musicians including Jackson and Lady Gaga, who’s referred to being parodied by Yankovic as a “rite of passage” for any artist’s career. (He released a spoof of “Born This Way” titled “Perform This Way” in 2011.) Over his 40-plus years in the industry, Yankovic’s won four Grammy Awards and received a total of 16 nominations. As expected with anything surrounding Yankovic, Roku’s press release for the forthcoming movie is laden with jokes. “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’ [a parody of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’] to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle,” reads the description, per People.
