While we’ll never be tired of seeing him as Hogwarts’ most troubled wizard, it is time for actor Daniel Radcliffe to venture into a much more upbeat – yet, not less magical – atmosphere. On Tuesday, the Roku Channel released the first picture of Radcliffe as “Weird Al” Yankovic in the upcoming biopic Weird: The “Weird Al” Yankovic Story. The British actor is seen sporting a big curly ‘80s hairdo, large glasses and (of course) Yankovic’s signature Hawaiian shirt, while playing the accordion.
In conversation with PEOPLE, Radcliffe said that “wearing the Hawaiian shirt is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly and I’m honored to finally share with the world the absolutely 100% unassailably true story of Weird Al’s depraved and scandalous life.”
Talented musician “Weird Al” Yankovic, who’s best known for his humorous songs that parody pop culture and contemporary music, acted as writer and producer for the movie, while Eric Appel sat in the director's chair. “When Weird Al first sat me down against my will and told me his life story, I didn’t believe any of it, but I knew that we had to make a movie about it,” Appel stated during a previous press release.
The story will follow Yankovic's life from his “gifted child prodigy” to his early hits like Eat It, to his multiple Grammy winnings. According to Yankovic, who has shared Radcliffe’s look on his Twitter account and jokingly called him a “cosplayer weirdo,” this will be the actor’s most known performance. “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,” he said.
The Roku Channel has yet to set a release date for it, but if this first look is any indication — the transformation will be major.
Photo via Roku
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