# Weird Al Yankovic biopic coming **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [January 18, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019 "2022-01-18T21:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/1 "2022-01-18T21:30:57Z")
> **[Daniel Radcliffe playing Weird Al in a movie about the life of Weird Al](https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/daniel-radcliffe-playing-weird-al-in-a-movie-about-weird-al/)** > > The Harry Potter star will eat it on the Roku channel. On the plus side, Al is co-writing, On the possibly minus side…Daniel Radcliffe?? Al is over six feet tall, while Dan is only 5’5". It reminds of of when they cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/2 "2022-01-18T21:36:55Z")
Does anyone (well, the general public) really think of Al as that weird but tall guy, though? If you hadn’t told me his height, I wouldn’t have even guessed at it as an issue and that’s as a moderate Weird Al fan. I don’t personally see it bothering most folks. I’m willing to wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/3 "2022-01-18T21:41:31Z")
Al is going to sound dignified with a British accent. Al should play Al, though. Even young Al can be played by today Al. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/4 "2022-01-18T21:42:37Z")
I’ve never noticed that Weird Al was tall. So that part shouldn’t matter too much. I’ve heard Daniel Radcliffe use an American Accent, that won’t be an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/5 "2022-01-18T22:01:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Daniel Radcliffe?? Al is over six feet tall, while Dan is only 5’5". There are ways to make people look taller. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HJZ4rjlIEcA/maxresdefault.jpg "The Green Mile (1999) - John Coffey Arrival Green Mile") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJZ4rjlIEcA) David Morse and Michael Clarke Duncan were really the same height. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/6 "2022-01-18T22:05:07Z")
I think you guys are all missing the point. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/7 "2022-01-18T22:17:16Z")
Did they get a short guy on purpose? > **[Roku is making a Weird Al mockumentary starring Daniel Radcliffe | Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/weird-the-weird-al-yankovic-story-roku-channel-150004709.html)** > > Will it be this generation's "This is Spinal Tap?". ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/8 "2022-01-18T22:22:53Z")
I wouldn’t have known that Weird Al is that tall nor that Radcliffe is rather small. I don’t think it matters. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/9 "2022-01-18T22:26:06Z")
Is this going to end up like some kind of _Ted Lasso_ thing, where a [short one-off comedy film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcNuiri2dV0) gets expanded into a full-length presentation using the same characters and the like? If so, I’m all in. Al has a tour going on this year, though, so I’m guessing it’ll be a while before we see this on a Roku stick… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/10 "2022-01-18T22:26:43Z")
Interesting. I like Al’s music, and I have a ticket to see him in concert in a few months, but is his life really interesting enough for a biopic? I mean, he’s about as unlikely a rock star as you could imagine, and he continued to perform while grieving the loss of his parents, but I don’t know much more than that. Biopics are usually about a lifetime of struggle, of one sort or another. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/11 "2022-01-18T22:42:38Z")
As a comedy/ mockumentary I’m not sure why would it have to have any thing to do with his real life. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/12 "2022-01-18T22:47:03Z")
Yeah, I am fully expecting this to be a mockumentary / parody of musician biopics, that’s at most loosely based on Weird Al’s actual life, not a serious biopic about Weird Al. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/13 "2022-01-19T00:31:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Will it be this generation’s “This is Spinal Tap?”. I think _The Nowhere Inn_ is already this generation’s _This is Spinal Tap_. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/14 "2022-01-19T00:55:06Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > Is this going to end up like some kind of _Ted Lasso_ thing, where a [short one-off comedy film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcNuiri2dV0) gets expanded into a full-length presentation using the same characters and the like? I would watch that movie so hard. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/15 "2022-01-19T16:20:44Z")
> [@](#): > > “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,” Yankovic said in a statement. > [@](#): > > “And I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film. I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for.” You have to love Weird Al. > **[Of course it's weird: Daniel Radcliffe will play 'Weird Al' Yankovic in a new...](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-01-18/daniel-radcliffe-weird-al-yankovic-casting-roku)** > > The wacky hair. The wacky shirts. The wacky words. Clearly, 'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe was born to play parody singer 'Weird Al' Yankovic. ---
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/16 "2022-01-19T16:29:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It reminds of of when they cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. In the case of Jack Reacher, his size is a significant part of who he is, what he does, and how people perceive and interact with him. Casting a small actor in that role fundamentally changed the the story. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/17 "2022-01-19T16:44:11Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > You have to love Weird Al. Indeed 🤣 He is one of a kind. ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/18 "2022-01-20T04:18:44Z")
I wonder who is playing Dr. Demento? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2022, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/19 "2022-01-20T04:57:59Z")
I hear there is a campaign to get Patton Oswalt. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019/20 "2022-11-05T15:30:43Z")
I thought that Radcliffe did a really good job. His height was a little distracting but it’s well worth watching. There’s a LOT more killing in it than I would have expected. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-biopic-coming/958019.md?page=2)