Daniel Radcliffe is strapping on his accordion as parody artist “Weird Al” Yankovic in the new trailer for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
“Weird” is set to premiere on Roku’s free streaming channel Nov. 4, but it will screen a bit earlier as the opening film of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness programming series on Sept. 8.Billed as the “untold true story” of Yankovic, the film explores the life and career of the parody musician, including his “torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.” A parody of the biopic genre, the film tells a more fictionalized narrative of Yankovic’s rise to stardom, featuring many of his early hits such as “Like a Surgeon” and “Eat It.”
In addition to “Harry Potter” star Radcliffe as Yankovic, the film also features Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna; Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey; Rainn Wilson as broadcaster Dr. Demento; and Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss as Yankovic’s parents, Mary and Nick.
“Weird” is directed by Eric Appel, who co-wrote the film with Yankovic himself. The film comes from Funny Or Die and Tango.
Yankovic is a five-time Grammy winner and the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. Along with producing such hits as “White & Nerdy” and “Another One Rides the Bus,” the comedian-singer’s 2014 release “Mandatory Fun” earned him his first No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.
“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 in January.
Watch the full trailer for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” below:
