Daniel Radcliffe, 32, is set to play satirical musician ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, 62, in biopic documenting his meteoric rise to fame
Daniel Radcliffe is set to take on the role of musician ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in an upcoming biopic documenting his rise to stardom.
The Harry Potter star, 32, will play the satirical hitmaker, 62, in a film focused on his journey to success, having become synonymous for his parodies of the US music industry’s biggest hits.
Speaking about the film, Al said he is ‘absolutely thrilled that Daniel will be portraying’ him, joking: ‘I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.’
Coming soon: Daniel Radcliffe (left in 2019) is set to take on the role of musician ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic (right in 1985) in an upcoming biopic documenting his rise to stardom
Titled WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, the biopic is set to air on Roku Channel and will be produced by Funny Or Die and Tango.
The film promises to take ‘audiences on a truly unbelievable journey through Yankovic’s life and career, from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time.’
In a statement, Al 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.’
Amusing: The Harry Potter star will play the satirical hitmaker (pictured in 2019) in a film focused on his journey to success, having become synonymous for parodies of big hits
Roku Head of Original Scripted Programming Colin Davis also joked: ‘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 and we could not be prouder to call this film a Roku Original.’
The film is scheduled to begin filming in Los Angeles next month.
Al has become known for his amusing spoofs of radio hits, with his most recent album, Mandatory Fun, topping the US Billboard charts in 2014.
Anticipated: Speaking about the film, Al said he is ‘absolutely thrilled that Daniel (pictured filming Escape From Pretoria in 2019) will be portraying’ him
One of his earliest hits came when he spoofed Michael Jackson’s Beat It, released Eat It in 1984, and he’s won five Grammy Awards for his comedy work.
Al became a vegetarian in 1992 when his then-girlfriend gave him a copy of John Robbins’ 1987 book Diet For A New America.
He married marketing executive Suzanne Krajewski in 2001, and they share daughter Nina, 18.
In 2004 Al’s parents were tragically found dead at their home in California, after becoming the victims of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from their fireplace.
After learning of their death from his wife, Yankovic decided to ahead with his planned concert in Appleton, telling the crowd: ‘Since my music had helped many of my fans through tough times, maybe it would work for me as well… it would at least give me a break from sobbing all the time.’
While Daniel is best known for playing the titular wizard in the Harry Potter series, in recent years he’s starred in a slew of independant films, including Kill Your Darlings, Swiss Army Man and Escape from Pretoria.
Iconic: Al has become known for his amusing spoofs of radio hits, with his most recent album, Mandatory Fun, topping the US Billboard charts in 2014
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