Considering "Weird Al" Yankovic's approach to music and film, speculation about what audiences should expect from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, the biopic about the world's funniest musician, is unsurprisingly landing in the realm of parody. Yankovic, who was present during production, penned the film with writer-director Eric Appel. Fans will likely be treated to something more in the realm of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story or Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny than Bohemian Rhapsody or Walk the Line. While Yankovic may be taking inspiration from some real-life events while peppering in exaggerations and embellishments, it is also possible the movie will venture completely into absurd territory, as seen with his 1988 cult classic UHF.
The prolific parody icon has maintained center stage in the comedy music genre since his big break on The Doctor Demento Show back in 1980, where he performed "Another One Rides the Bus," based on Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." While Yankovic has been known in the music world as the "King of Parody" for over four decades, his venture into feature films was limited to UHF, that is until now. However, in the realm of television and music videos, there is a large inventory of Weird Al content with nearly sixty original music videos, a 1985 TV special called The Compleat Al, 1997's The Weird Al Show, and all the times he took over MTV with "Al TV," he's definitely no stranger to the moving image.
While UHF was not the massive box office hit it probably should have been, the film has gone on to amass a loyal cult following. Competing with 1989's Batman, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, When Harry Met Sally, and Lethal Weapon 2, the release date may have been ill-timed. Regardless, UHF has withstood the test of time for comedy fans with a fantastic script, brilliant character actors (including Fran Drescher, Michael Richards, Kevin McCarthy, and Billy Barty), a truly hilarious score, if such a thing is possible, and loaded with an equal amount of iconic pop culture parody and original comedy moments that fans continue to quote to this day.
With that, let's look at Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and what to expect.
Biopic Parody
In a recent interview with Deadline, when asked about the film, Yankovic shared the following:
“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. I’m very happy to say we’re on schedule. And I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film,” said Yankovic. “I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.”
The statement is both hilarious and intriguing. It signals to UHF fans that this is the follow-up they have been waiting for. Those less familiar with Yankovic's body of work may actually believe the forthcoming film is a legitimate biopic, which it may very well have elements of.
In previous interviews, Yankovic has shared interesting details about his early academic life and the fact that being dubbed 'Weird Al' was actually invented by others and disparagingly used on the artist by fellow peers who were legitimately making fun of him. Yankovic embraced the title, however, and went on to become a pop culture icon resonating with all weirdos, nerds, and geeks alike. For comedy music fans, Weird Al cornered the market. While it may be a stretch to compare him to Elvis or Frank Sinatra, he is certainly as iconic as Pee-wee Herman or Elvira, yet does not require a costume. He simply is "Weird Al" Yankovic, and there is no substitute.
Funny or Die Origins & Updated Casting
The upcoming feature is director Eric Appel's further developed version of a 2010 Funny or Die fake trailer. The project starred Aaron Paul as Yankovic, as well as Olivia Wilde, Gary Cole, Mary Steenburgen, and Patton Oswalt. Aaron Paul recently expressed his disappointment in missing out on a cameo for the film. While Paul portraying Yankovic was on point for the purpose of the short trailer, the feature, casting Daniel Radcliffe to play Weird Al, is arguably more on point for an extended runtime as there are more genuine similarities between the two.
Yankovic commented on Radcliffe's casting, saying, "I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for," which is ironic on multiple levels. While the sarcastic reference implies a comparison to Harry Potter, it does inspire a deeper meditation on the impact of Weird Al versus Harry Potter. In terms of aging, it may be fair to say Weird Al's legacy has been far more graceful than JK Rowling's monster franchise hit. Aside from Rowling's controversial stance on certain issues, there is the growing intellectual property debacle that Harry Potter may be on the run from. While Yankovic's ventures into parody have never been accused of theft, the same cannot be said for Harry Potter.
In 2015 an alleged lawsuit gained some media attention between John Carl Buechler and Universal Studios regarding the Harry Potter intellectual property that the late director had originally created for the 1986 film Troll, which starred Neverending Story lead Noah Hathaway. Troll follows the adventures of Harry Potter, who discovers the existence of a parallel fantasy world in his apartment building. Trained by a wizard on the top floor, Harry Potter must venture into this fantasy realm to save his younger sibling.
As time marches on, it is possible that Weird Al's legacy could outshine Harry Potter's, especially if Weird: The Al Yankovic Story delivers a solid comedic experience. After all, the comedy film genre may be the most underserved in the last two decades. Perhaps this movie will put the genre back on the map.
The film is set to premiere on The Roku Channel, with a specific release date yet to be confirmed.