I Can't Get Over All The Celebs In The Weird Al Movie's Wild Trailer

Daniel Radcliffe is no stranger to getting weird — never forget his vogue remix to “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” — and his next project has him embracing his weirdness like never before. The Harry Potter alum will play parody musician Weird Al Yankovic in a new biopic about his life — and he isn’t the only big name playing an iconic character in the movie. Here’s everything you can expect from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, including its cast list and when it’s going to premiere.

Weird has a backstory that’s just as zany as its main character himself. The idea for the movie began after a joke trailer for a fake Weird Al biopic produced by Will Ferrell and Rainn Wilson went viral in 2010. That satirical video, starring Aaron Paul as a hyper-dramatic version of Yankovic, showed a version of Al who dealt with substance abuse and was prone to violent outbursts at the height of his fame. (The real Yankovic is famous for being as straitlaced as they come, a devout Christian who does not even swear.)

That YouTube clip may have just been a joke, but it turned into something real over a decade later. After he was announced as the movie’s star at the start of 2022, Radcliffe revealed Yankovic was the one who suggested the British actor play him. Yankovic was inspired by Radcliffe’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2010, where the actor sand Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements,” a musical tongue-twister that lists all the elements in the periodic table.

But Radcliffe is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this film. Let’s run down everything to know about this movie.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Trailer

The first trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story came out on Aug. 29, 2022. While it seems like your standard Behind The Music type story, the in-joke from the jump is that none of this is true. As is documented in numerous interviews and blog posts, Al Yankovic was very close with his parents and referred to their passing as the worst thing that ever happened to him. He never dated another rockstar, he’s spent his life sober, and his worst crime is occasional cheating on his vegan diet with pizza.

But this deviation from reality just makes the whole thing that much weirder — and therefore more enjoyable.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Cast

As Radcliffe fans are well aware, the Harry Potter star loves to pick offbeat projects, from Swiss Army Man to Miracle Workers. Playing Weird Al is just par for the course. But his co-stars also have people sitting up and taking notice. Weird includes Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, Toby Huss as Yankovic’s father Nick, Julianne Nicholson as Yankovic’s mother Mary, and Rainn Wilson as Yankovic’s mentor Dr. Demento.

The movie’s producers initially meant for Aaron Paul to have a cameo appearance in Weird as a nod to the original trailer. However, he could not film during production due to illness. But at least the real Weird Al will be in the film; he has a cameo as a record executive.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Plot

The film will follow the plot of the original parody concept, down to Weird Al having a destructive relationship with Madonna.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Rebellious and unconventional, singer “Weird Al” Yankovic becomes famous for changing the words to world-renowned songs. However, his excessive lifestyle and infamous romance nearly destroy him.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Release Date

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film will begin streaming exclusively on the Roku Channel on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.