If anybody had doubts about the lack of historical veracity of the upcoming Daniel Radcliffe-starring “Weird Al” Yankovic biopic Weird, they were thoroughly confirmed in the film’s hilarious, first official trailer, which dropped this morning (Aug. 29).
In it, a young Yankovic is forbidden by his parents from pursuing his accordion-fueled polka music dreams, setting him on a rebellious path toward becoming the best-selling pop parodist of all time. We watch Yankovic’s initial burst of inspiration to convert The Knack’s “My Sharona” into “My Bologna,” pep talks from mentor Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson), a lusty encounter with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) and Al’s eventual descent into alcohol- and drug-driven depravity as he becomes a worldwide phenomenon.
Yankovic himself appears briefly as a record company executive, as does Will Forte, who suffers the indignity of Radcliffe putting out a lit cigarette on his hand. As previously reported, Weird will be released Nov. 4 exclusively on The Roku Channel.
Also arriving in November is The Illustrated Al songbook (Z2 Comics), which will highlight a career-spanning selection of Yankovic’s music in comic form. Among the artists participating are Drew Friedman, Danny Hellman, Fred Harper, Sam Viviano and Felipe Sobriero.
Yankovic is in the mist of his Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, which visits Springfield, Mo., tomorrow.
