Oprah has been cast!
The upcoming Weird Al biopic starring Daniel Radcliffe in the role of the famous parody songwriter and performer is lining up to be a celebration not just of the creator of such hits as “Eat It” and “Smells Like Nirvana,” but of the eighties themselves. Stars have been cast in the roles of celebrities like Madonna and Hulk Hogan, and now talk show host Oprah Winfrey enters the story. Roku has released a new still from the flick, with Radcliffe alongside the film’s answer to Oprah.
In the newly released pic from the Weird Al biopic, Radcliffe appears as Al next to Oprah Winfrey played by Quinta Brunson. Judging by the rows of Hawaiian shirts on either side of the pair, what we’re supposed to be looking at is Oprah visiting Yankovic’s home and checking out his closet. You can see the new image below, tweeted from Brunson’s official Twitter account.
The marketing for the Weird Al biopic has been interesting, often implying that what we’ll be getting will be nothing even remotely close to a biopic but — fittingly, considering the subject — a parody of other rock biopics. As Movie Web notes, the film’s official descriptions makes some very creative claims about the parody master’s career. It calls him the “greatest musician of our time” who had to struggle with an environment in which “playing accordion was a sin.” It also calls Yankovic “An instant success and sex symbol” and that he suffers from an “excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him.” None of that sounds accurate as far as Yankovic’s career is concerned, but it does sound like just about every other rock star biopic ever made.
In case you’re wondering exactly how the British star known best for battling He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named by hurling magic spells got cast for the lead of the Weird Al biopic, it was apparently because of an impromptu performance by Radcliffe over a decade ago. The Harry Potter star was a guest on The Graham Norton Show when he managed to crank out a perfect rendition of “The Elements” by the songwriter and satirist Tom Lehrer. On an episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Radcliffe said it was that performance that caught Yankovic’s attention. You can see the history Graham Norton appearance below.
There’s no release date so far announced for the Weird Al biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, but it’s expected to show up on the Roku Channel some time this fall. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as Weird Al himself, Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) as Madonna, Julianne Nicholson (I, Tonya) as Al’s mother Mary, Toby Huss (Copshop) as his father Nick, Rainn Wilson (The Office) as legendary broadcaster Dr. Demento, Quinta Brunson (A Black Lady Sketch Show) as Oprah Winfrey, Spencer Treat Clark (Mystic River) as Al’s bassist Steve Jay, James Preston Rogers (Outlander) as Hulk Hogan, and Lechristopher Williams (You People) as Coolio. The film is directed by Eric Appel (Silcon Valley), and written by Appel and Al Yankovic.
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