Daniel Radcliffe will play “Weird Al” Yankovic in the forthcoming biopic WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story.
“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,” Yankovic said, in a statement. “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.”
Yankovic, 62, co-wrote the script with Eric Appel, who will also direct. The movie begins shooting in L.A. next month and will be available on the Roku Channel.
According to a release, 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.”
The movie “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.”
Radcliffe, 32, is best known for playing Harry Potter but has taken several vastly different roles in recent years, including the Vancouver-shot Horns and made-in-Toronto What If. He portrayed American poet Allen Ginsberg in 2013’s Kill Your Darlings.
Yankovic is set to launch a 10-city Canadian tour on July 2.