Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

Weird Al Yankovic biopic’s first trailer is pretty wizard

By

Movie lovers have seen music biopics of all stripes, from serious films like Walk the Line, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Elvis, to parodies like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. The Roku Channel’s upcoming flick, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, definitely falls more on the side of parody despite the fact that Al Yankovic is quite real and quite weird. However, it wasn’t until the first trailer dropped that we saw just how bizarre this one is going to get.

WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story - official trailer

Former Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is headlining the film as Weird Al Yankovic, and the movie’s brand of parody is to play everything straight even when it’s completely ridiculous. To that end, Al’s desire to take preexisting songs and rewrite them into parody tunes is treated as a dramatic obstacle standing between Al and fame and fortune. Similarly, Al’s revelatory experience with My Sharona leads to the divine creation of his musical parody, My Bologna.

Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Admittedly, we’re not fully aware of every detail that has ever occurred in Weird Al’s life. But we’re fairly certain he didn’t have a torrid love affair with Madonna at the height of her ’80s fame. Westworld’s Evan Rachel Wood is playing the Material Girl, and she can’t keep her hands off of Weird Al. That’s how you know it’s a fantasy!

Recommended Videos

Rainn Wilson also stars in the film as Dr. Demento, with Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, Spencer Treat Clark as Steve Jay, James Preston Rodgers as Hulk Hogan, John Regan as Mark Mothersbaugh, Toby Huss as Nick Yankovic, and Julianne Nicholson as Mary Yankovic. The real Weird Al Yankovic also pops up alongside Will Forte as record executives in the movie.

Eric Appel directed the movie from a script he co-wrote with Weird Al. The Roku Channel will premiere Weird: The Al Yankovic Story at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022. Roku Channel subscribers will then be able to watch the film on November 4.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (June 28-30)
A girl looks at a boy in House at the End of the Street.

June is surprisingly over, and with it, a great month for movies comes to a satisfactory close. You've probably watched Inside Out 2 or Bad Boys: Ride or Die or maybe even The Bikeriders. From blockbusters to indie fare, the theatrical movie business has been robust and healthy.

The same goes for streaming. Netflix had a big hit with Richard Linklater's Hit Man, while Amazon Prime Video recently premiered the latest bonkers season of The Boys. HBO and Max have been quieter, but their robust library speaks volumes to the streamer's high quality. The following three films are older, but are just as worth your time as new hits like House of the Dragon season 2.
The Skin I Live In (2011)

Read more
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (June 28-30)
Two men spy from a car in The Limey.

As we head toward the end of June, it's worth reflecting on how we want to spend the rest of summer. For some, that's going to mean enjoying nice weather or getting some time in at the beach. For others, it might mean escaping from the heat, at least for a while, to check out a great movie.

If you fall into that second category, then we've pulled together a list of three great, underrated, titles available on Amazon Prime Video that are all worth checking out. Prime Video is home to some of the best movies available online, but it can be hard to find the ones you want. These three will at least give you a great place to start.
The Limey (1999)
The Limey | 4K Restoration Trailer | Plays Dec. 19

Read more
The best Netflix original series right now
Eric and Benedict Cumberbatch in Eric.

The era of Peak TV was also Peak Netflix, because the streamer seemingly had an endless supply of new original series. So far in 2024, that hasn't been the case. Whether we'll ever get the same level of content again seems unlikely for now. But even in a reduced capacity, Netflix still has a few new additions to its lineup of originals.

For the month of June, we're adding the '80s-set thriller, Eric, which stars Benedict Cumbebatch. Our other pick for the month is Supacell, which is Netflix's new British series that remixes some old superhero archetypes. That's not a very big selection for fans who always want something new, but this roundup of the best Netflix original series really does have all of the top options in one place for you. All you have to do is scroll down and make time to binge watch some shows.

Read more