HOLLYWOOD, CA. — If you're looking for a lighthearted movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, it might be time to get a little weird. A new satirical biopic aims to tell the not-so-true life story of parody singer Weird Al Yankovic.
The film was inspired by a Funny or Die sketch from writer/director Eric Appel in 2010. Yankovic says he reached out to Appel 9 years later, wanting to make a feature-length film from the idea.
"He approached me in 2010 and said, 'hey, I'm doing this video for Funny or Die, and I want to do a biopic of you, but have it be really heightened and dramatic and amp it up so that it feels like an Oscar-worthy biopic with all this drama, which you don't actually have in your life,'" Yankovic said. "And then nine years later, I emailed him and said, 'you know that video we did? Let's actually do the movie!'"
Yankovic's real-life story is nothing like what we see played out hilariously on screen by Daniel Radcliffe ("Harry Potter"). So they pulled cliched moments from popular biopic films, like a rough childhood and substance abuse problems, and pieced together a bonkers re-telling of Weird Al's life.
Radcliffe is fully immersed in all the weirdness, and you never once think, 'I'm watching Harry Potter play Weird Al.' He looks like he's having a blast with this character. He also credits the frenzied fun feeling to the film's hectic 18-day shoot.
"I got to do something so insanely different every day," Radcliffe says. "So I'd be doing a fight scene one day, then a scene with all those cameo people around the pool. Then doing a song. Then learning a song and dance number for 'Like a Surgeon.' It was great."
Fans familiar with Yankovic will be in on the joke from the jump. He grew in popularity in the 80s by parodying popular songs like "Eat it," "My Bologna," and "Like a Surgeon." The Material Girl even makes an appearance played by Evan Rachel Wood. She says she spent a lot of time re-watching old interviews and went all in on this version of Madonna.
"I really did bring a lot of real life into the character and then just cranked it up," Wood said.
Yankovic says there is no lesson to be learned or message behind this movie. He just did it to make people laugh. Something true to his actual real-life story for more than 40 years.
He tells me, "I hope this movie lets people feel good about being weird."
Longtime Tulsans may feel an affinity to Weird Al after he filmed his first movie, “U.H.F” in Tulsa in the mid-1980s.
Based on a “dreamer” who ends up running a U.H.F station and creating original programming the movie filmed in several locations around Tulsa due to a producer’s recent experience filming “The Outsiders” in Tulsa.
Some notable locations featured under different names include:
- Burger World was Harden’s Hamburgers near 15th and Admiral
- Bowling for Burgers was filmed at the Rose Bowl on 11th
- News desk was at OETA
- Steps of City Hall actually First Christian Church and 9th and Boulder
The film was a flop at the time and kept Weird Al from starring in any other films since then, but it is now a cult classic. A special 25th anniversary edition was released in 2014.
"Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" premieres Nov. 4 on The Roku Channel. And remember, you can download and stream KJRH on the Roku app anytime.
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