Funny or Die are producing a “Weird Al” Yankovic biopic titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame) has been cast in the title role.
Deadline reports Yankovic co-wrote the film with Eric Appel, who’s signed on as director and executive producer. Appel previously worked as a staff writer and director at Funny or Die and has directed episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl and The Office.
Appel and Funny or Die released a short film, also titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in 2010. Aaron Paul played Yankovic on that occasion, alongside Olivia Wilde as Madonna and Mary Steenburgen as Mrs. Yankovic.
Yankovic, who’s known for his parodies of popular songs such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat Eat’ (‘Eat It’), Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ (‘Like a Surgeon’), Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ (‘Amish Paradise’) and Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ (the Star Wars prequel recap, ‘The Saga Begins’), began his recording career in the early 1980s.
Given his propensity for parody, you’d expect the line between fact and faction to blur on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
“When Weird Al first sat me down against my will and told me his life story, I didn’t believe any of it,” said Appel, “but I knew that we had to make a movie about it.”
Funny or Die was created by Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay (Anchorman, The Big Short) in 2007. Some its best known productions include Drunk History and Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns. Production on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is set to begin next month.
