We woke up this morning to some interesting news from Entertainment Weekly: Harry Potter veteran Daniel Radcliffe will play musician Weird Al Yankovic in an upcoming biopic.
If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to picture what that will look like. And I have to be honest, I have no idea. I guess they have similar sharp facial features?
In any case, this is hilarious, and I’m here for it. Harry Potter is Weird Al. I never thought I’d hear those words together.
Daniel Radcliffe is transforming into Weird Al Yankovic
The film’s official press release gave us some insight into what we can expect from the movie: “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,” it reads. “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.”
Weird Al remains best known for his song parodies, but he did movies too. “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.”
The film will be released exclusively on the Roku Channel for free. Naturally, Yankovic himself is writing it. Production is slated to start in February.
Daniel Radcliffe continues to break from Harry Potter
I want to take a moment to say that Daniel Radcliffe has impressed his fans with the diverse roles he’s taken on since Harry Potter. He knew that role could define him forever if he didn’t explore other things, and explore he has.
In an interview with Empire last year, Radcliffe talked about picking roles post-Harry Potter. “I’ve actually found it’s an incredibly liberating thing to do the biggest thing you’re ever going to do really f—ing early,” Radcliffe said. “The financial success thing, that’s done. So just do things that make you happy … Like, for every director out there that was like, ‘I can only see him as Harry Potter,’ there was at least one that said, ‘I wonder if he’ll do this really f—ing weird thing?’ And I did!”
Bravo, Radcliffe, Bravo!
Words can’t express how much I’m looking forward to this movie. It’s going to be so weird, yet so right.
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