Bizarre: The Story of Al Yankovic, Roku's upcoming biopic about the comedic music icon, has found his trail, and it's none other than Daniel Radcliffe.
In news we didn't expect to read or hear, the former Harry Potter star has been cast as Yankovic in the Roku original title, which will stream for free on all Roku streaming devices when it launches exclusively on The Roku Channel.
Produced by Funny or Die and Tango, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will chart the musician and actor's meteoric rise to fame with parody hits like Like a Surgeon, Eat It, Amish Paradise and Smells like Nirvana.
The feature film will also explore his private life in great detail. A Roku press release confirming that the biopic will "hold nothing back, exploring every facet of Yankovic's life," shedding light on his various relationships and other important aspects of Yankovic's personal life.
Yankovic co-wrote his biopic with Eric Appel (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl), who will also direct and produce the film. Funny or Die's Eric Muñoz III and Tango's Neil Shah will also serve as executive producers, while Yankovic will receive producer credit.
Production on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will begin in Los Angeles in February, with the release date to be revealed in due course.
Analysis: Daniel Radcliffe is an odd but oddly likeable choice for the lead role
If confirmation that a "Weird Al" Yankovic biopic is on the way wasn't surreal enough, the choice to hire Radcliffe may, at first at least, seem like a very strange choice.
Radcliffe played Harry Potter in Warner Bros.' live-action franchise based on JK Rowling's novels of the same name. He was last seen on our screens during HBO Max's Harry Potter XNUMXth Anniversary Reunion Special.
However, since the release of the latest Harry Potter film in July 2011, Radcliffe has opted to star in more unusual film, television and stage productions: Horns, Guns Akimbo and Miracle Workers among his most recent projects.
Speaking about the casting of Radcliffe and the biopic in general, Yankovic said: "When my last film, UHF, came out in 1989, I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major film every 33 years, like on wheels." . I am very happy to say that we are on time.
"And I am absolutely delighted to have Daniel Radcliffe play me in the film. I have no doubt that this is the role that future generations will remember him for."
Given Radcliffe's penchant for quirky and quirky projects, and his seeming shyness about franchise film roles, it's not all that surprising that something like Bizarre: The Story of Al Yankovic appeals to him. Radcliffe plays the greatest comedic musician of all time and shows off his acting muscles in yet another unconventional role. Here's hoping that Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Radcliffe's own incarnation of Yankovic, is as weirdly wonderful as we hope.