Update:
The first official photo of Danielle Radcliffe as “Weird Al” Yankovic for Roku’s upcoming biopic has been released! In the promotional image, you can see Radcliffe as a young Yankovic shredding away on his signature accordion. Having seen the legend in concert on several occasions, I can tell you from first-hand experience that this looks to have been ripped right from the stage. WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is currently filming in Los Angeles with Radcliffe in the lead role.
Today Daniel said: “Wearing the Hawaiian shirt is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly, and I’m honored to finally share with the world the absolutely 100 percent unassailably true story of Weird Al’s depraved and scandalous life.”
You can check out the full photo below:
Original Article:
Daniel Radcliffe must have some leftover Polyjuice Potion from the set of Harry Potter because he looks unrecognizable as “Weird Al” Yankovic in a batch of recent photos. The behind-the-scenes snaps were taken earlier this month in Los Angeles, where Radcliffe is filming the upcoming Roku biopic titled WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story. In the photos, we find Radcliffe sporting a curly wig, pencil mustache, a camo-colored button-down, and checkered kicks. He’s the spitting image of Yankovic as he was in the early days of his titanic career.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for,” Yankovic recently remarked to People magazine. The 62-year-old musical icon also said he is “absolutely thrilled” that Radcliffe won the role.
You can check out the photos of Radcliffe as Yankovic below:
The biopic, which is being set up exclusively on The Roku Channel, will be called Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Per the official description for the film it “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 and Eric Appel penned the screenplay for the film and Appel will also be directing the project and executive producing. Funny or Die and Tango are producing the film, which begins shooting in Los Angeles in early February. Yankovic had this to say about the upcoming project:
“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.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic is a prolific musician known for his parodies of popular songs in pop culture. Hits like “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise” are still considered pop-culture mainstays and they have turned him into a five-time Grammy winner in the process.
As a major fan of both Yankovic and Radcliffe, I am over the moon about this setup for the “Weird Al” biopic. A look back on Yankovic’s career is long overdue, and the idea of Yankovic being on the ground floor of the project is exciting. I’m one of the few people who saw UHF in theaters back in the day, and I can’t wait to see one of my childhood heroes represented on the screen once again.