The upcoming “Weird Al” Yankovic biopic now has an official release date.
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The movie, formally titled, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, is set to drop on November 4 this year. The humorous film will stream for free on The Roku Channel and it will star former Harry Potter lead, Daniel Radcliffe, as “Weird Al.”
Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson will play Oprah Winfrey and Evan Rachel Wood will play Madonna, as well. Yankovic co-wrote the screenplay with the movie’s director Eric Appel.
“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,” said Yankovic in a statement previously. “I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule.”
The biopic is directed and co-written by executive producer Appel, who worked with Yankovic on his fake biopic in 2013, which starred Yankovic, along with Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, Patton Oswalt, Olivia Wilde, Gary Cole, Mary Steenburgen, and Paul Scheer.
“When Weird Al first sat me down against my will and told me his life story, I didn’t believe any of it,” said Appel, “but I knew that we had to make a movie about it.”
A Funny or Die and Tango production for the Roku Channel, Weird: The “Weird Al” Yankovic Story was written and produced by Yankovic and will explore the comedian’s earlier years and his rise to fame in the 1980s with parody hits like “Like a Surgeon” and “Eat It.”
A five-time Grammy Award-winner, Yankovic’s 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. Yankovic is also one of three artists to have their own Top 40 hits in each of the last four decades and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
“I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film,” said Yankovic. “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.”
(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
