In new biopic of the US musical comedian

 Daniel Radcliffe is to play ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in a new biopic.

The of the American musical comedian wrote the script himself, alongside Silicon Valley and Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Eric Appel, who will also direct.

Weird: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story will go into production in Los Angeles next month and be released  via The Roku Channel – which is available in the UK via a special dongle.

According to a tongue-in-cheek press release from producers Funny Or Die and Tango, ‘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 to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story takes audiences on a truly unbelievable journey through Yankovic’s life and career, from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time’.

Yankovic himself said: ‘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. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule

‘And I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film. I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.’

And Colin Davis of Roku added: ‘There clearly aren't enough biopic movies about famous musicians and we were excited to shine a light on the incredibly true, unexaggerated story of Weird Al.

‘This is sincerely the ultimate combination of talent, creativity, and friends, coming together to make something genuinely funny.’

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time.

A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at No1 on Billboard’s Top 200. And he is one of only three artists to have had their own top 40 hits in each of the last four decades – the other two being Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Published: 18 Jan 2022