As grim as things are for many people right now, there’s a lot to be said for the cathartic and therapeutic power of entertainment. In some ways, merely discussing a movie or show can be just as engaging and helpful as watching the thing itself. The more interesting or downright strange something is, the more this rule tends to apply. On that note, remember how there’s a movie about “Weird Al” Yankovic (aptly titledWeird: The Al Yankovic Story) coming out with Daniel Radcliffe in the starring role?
Don’t worry, it’s still coming out. The universe may be cruel, but it surely wouldn’t be that sadistic. In fact, Radcliffe himself has been gushing about how much he enjoyedplaying the role of Weird Al, which has got to help raise those hype levels. A happy actor makes for a happy performance, after all.
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Radcliffe recently appeared onGood Morning Americato discuss, among other things, his upcoming dive into the weird depths of Yankovic’s life. When asked about his time in the role, he quickly launched into an energetic expression of his love for the project. “We just finished filming not that long ago,” Radcliffe began. “It was honestly one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever done. Really, if you can’t have funmaking the Weird Al movie, what are you doing with your life?”
The subject then switched to Yankovic himself, for whom Radcliffe appears to hold a ton of respect. “He’s the best,” Radcliffe emphasized when asked about working with the legendary parodist. “I know everyone says this about him, but it’s so lovely to meet somebody that you look up to and you know as a hero to so many people, and to have them just be kind and fun and sweet. I can now go to my grave saying thatI’ve had accordion lessonswith Weird Al.”
Yankovic’s decades-spanning career has touched the lives of countless people and generations since his humble beginnings on Dr. Demento’s radio show (Demento will reportedly beplayed by Rainn Wilsonin the film). Creating parodies of popular music from all eras and genres, he managed to find a niche that many have sought to replicate since with relatively little success. By all accounts, the guy seems to be a big old softie. Based on the stories that he always gets permission from the original artists before making parodies of their songs (even though he doesn’t legally have to), those accounts speak to more than just his demeanor.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Storyseems like exactly the sort of fun content the world needs right now. Unfortunately, it looks like fans will still have to wait a bit before they can finally see the fruits of Radcliffe’s labor. Still, maybe just knowing it’s on the way will be enough to keep the world a little more hopeful.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Storyis will be released exclusively on The Roku Channel.
