Jan. 18 (UPI) — Daniel Radcliffe will star in the new film “Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story.”
Roku said in a press release Tuesday that Radcliffe, 32, will play “Weird Al” Yankovic, a singer and actor known for his parody songs, in the upcoming biopic.
The feature-length film will explore the life and career of Yankovic, the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time.
“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,” an official description reads.
Yankovic co-wrote and will executive produce the film with Eric Appel, who also serves as director. The project is produced by Funny or Die and Tango.
“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,” Yankovic said in a statement.
“And I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film,” he added. “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.”
Roku head of original scripted programming Colin Davis said the film features “the ultimate combination of talent, creativity, and friends, coming together to make something genuinely funny.”
Production will begin in Los Angeles in February.
Radcliffe is best known for playing Harry Potter in the “Harry Potter” film series, and recently reunited with his cast mates for the HBO Max special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.”
