This wizard is getting weird. Daniel Radcliffe stars as the titular comedian in WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, and the movie will live up to its title. It explores 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 Al: The Movie
The film is based on a short Al Yankovic made for Funny or Die in 2010, and the star-studded video poked fun at dramatic rock star biopics, exaggerating the comic`s life with sex, drugs, and emotional breakdowns.
The first teaser trailer, released in May 2022, reveals that the movie is set to have a similar tone, with Roku advertising it as “the untold true story” of the “Eat It” singer — as well as his “torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.”
Cast
Radcliffe is a big fan of the Grammy Award winner, but the Lost City star revealed in a March 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he was surprised when Yankovic specifically chose him for the role — despite having never met.
“When I talked to Al for the first time, I was like, `I`m immensely flattered by the idea that you would pick me to play you, but like, why me?I’m confused but excited,” recalls the Harry Potter actor.
Stars
Movie Review
Al Yankovic, a 62-year-old parody artist known as Weird Al, is getting his own equally bizarre biography this fall. , explores Weird Al’s crazy world, hilarious cover tunes, and obsession with polka.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story premieres on his Roku Channel on November 4th. The movie is set to be Roku’s best original movie of all time, and it features some big-name stars like Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al and Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, and Quinta Branson as Oprah Winfrey.
Roku Channel is looking to expand its original programming, and an upcoming Al Yankovic biopic could be a hit on the free streaming service. Weird Al is a highly successful musician who has sold over 12 million albums and won five Grammy Awards. Looking at Roku’s growth, the streaming service needs to pick up the pace if it wants to compete with its rivals.
The company reports lower-than-expected platform revenue growth in the second quarter of 2022. Investing in more original content is certainly the best thing for The Roku Channel. According to Fandom’s 2022 State of the Streaming report, 55% of consumers crave original and unique titles.
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Some Interesting Facts
- The mad magazine helped inspire the main character’s name.
- Rising stars like Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Tilly auditioned for the film.
- Dr. Demento makes a cameo.
- UHF was filmed on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Dire Straits helped record a parody of their own song for the film.
- UHF originally tested better with audiences than RoboCop.
- Siskel & Ebert hated the movie.
- UHF was rated PG-13, which the studio felt negatively impacted its box office performance.
- The film was given an alternative title for international markets.
- UHF helped “Weird Al” eventually get Nirvana’s permission for a parody song.