Daniel Radcliffe is ditching his Harry Potter glasses and Hogwarts robes for some aviator frames and a Hawaiian shirt to embody famous parody artist Weird Al Yankovic. Radcliffe transforms into Yankovic in the very first trailer for the musician’s biopic, titled Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. And while his casting as the prolific satirist was announced long ago, it’s still shocking to see The Boy Who Lived become the man who wrote “Eat It.”
In the first look, which was released today, Radcliffe dons a curly wig and puts on an American accent to play Yankovic, the creative force behind masterpieces like “White & Nerdy” and “Amish Paradise.” Tuesday’s trailer sets the scene early in Yankovic’s career, with 1986’s “Like a Surgeon” soundtracking the minute-long peek into Weird.
“Hope you guys are ready for this,” Radcliffe as Yankovic tells a rowdy crowd as he stands under glowing stage lights during his performance. He the springs up with an accordion, pulling on the instrument as he lets out a yell.
While Radcliffe fully commits to Yankovic’s eccentric wardrobe, the trailer also slips in a shirtless scene in which the actor struts across the stage chugging from a bottle, only to spit his drink up into the air as his fans cheer from the crowd below. The trailer closes out with Radcliffe asking, “Anyone got an accordion?” Within a second, he’s presented with not one, but three of the instrument.
Weird, which is described as the “true untold story” of Yankovic, was written by director Eric Appel and Yankovic. Radcliffe told People in February that the film would detail Yankovic’s “depraved and scandalous life.”
Along with Radcliffe, Weird also stars Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Rainn Wilson radio host Dr. Demento and Julianna Nicholson and Toby Huss as Yankovic’s mom and dad, Mary and Nick.
Weird premieres on The Roku Channel this fall. Watch the full teaser trailer in the video above.
