Quinta Brunson channels her inner talk-show host to portray Oprah Winfrey in Roku’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” starring Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, as the frizzy-haired musical parodist.
The movie is billed as “the unexaggerated true story about the greatest musician of our time.” “Weird,” which has a runtime of 108 minutes, is slated to premiere on the free, ad-supported Roku Channel this fall.
Brunson is the latest cast member announced for “Weird,” which in addition to Radcliffe stars Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna; Rainn Wilson as radio broadcaster Dr. Demento; and Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss as Yankovic’s parents, Mary and Nick.
Brunson recently made Primetime Emmy Awards history with three nominations — for comedy series, lead actress in a comedy and writing for a comedy series — for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” which she created, executive produces and stars in. She is the first Black woman to earn three noms in the comedy categories in a single year and, at 32, is also the youngest Black woman ever nominated in the Emmys comedy acting category.
The movie follows “Weird Al’s” rise to fame with early hits like “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon” — as well as his “torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.”
“From a conventional upbringing where playing the accordion was a sin, Al rebelled and made his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true,” reads the movie’s logline. “An instant success and sex symbol, Al lives an excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him.”
Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is produced by Funny Or Die and Tango. Yankovic co-wrote the film’s script with Eric Appel, who is also directing.
Yankovic, a five-time Grammy winner, is the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. The musician’s 2014 release “Mandatory Fun” was the first comedy album in history to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Known for his trademark aloha shirts, Yankovic has produced numerous hits including “White & Nerdy,” “Another One Rides the Bus” and “Smells Like Nirvana.”
“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 when the project was first announced in January.
