Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is an upcoming movie about the real-life parody musician, and the Roku exclusive release has gotten rave reviews, as critics have called it entertaining and typically weird. Director Eric Appel has seemingly made a surreal comedy that will satisfy longtime fans and create new fans.

But a movie as strange as Weird didn't get made without having a production that lived up to its title. Between Weird Al spoiling the film while shooting and Evan Rachel Wood being told to play Madonna on cocaine, a lot happened in just 18 days of production.

It Began As A Parody Trailer In 2013

Aaron Paul in the Funny or Die sketch about Al.

The upcoming biographical comedy was produced by Funny or Die, but it wasn't the first time the production company had the idea to make a biopic based on Weird Al Yankovic. In 2013, Funny Or Die released a trailer for a Weird Al biopic almost 10 years ago, but it was a fake parody trailer.

The two-and-a-half-minute clip starred Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, and he hilariously played the parody artist and brilliantly mimicked his quirks. It would have been great to see Paul in the role of the actual movie, especially given that his serious roles since Breaking Bad haven't landed quite as well, but it seems as if Radcliffe nailed the performance.

Weird Al Jokingly Spoiled The Movie Eight Months Ago

Weird Al getting off a plane

Weird Al spoiled the movie before it had even finished shooting, as he revealed the ending in February, one month before the biopic had wrapped. However, it wasn't much of a spoiler, as he posted an image of the final script, which simply says, "Cut to BLACK. CREDIT CRAWL BEGINS."

Though Al thought he might "get in trouble" with Roku for uploading the image, it isn't exactly on the Tom Holland level of accidentally leaking major plot details. But while it might simply be a joke, it's still telling that Weird Al will joke about anything and everything, and the movie will clearly spit out jokes like machine gun fire.

Evan Rachel Wood Is Worried About Being On Bad Terms With Madonna

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; Roku

In the upcoming movie, Evan Rachel Wood plays the Queen of Pop herself, and based on the trailer, she totally looks the part, but the actor is a little worried about the reception her performance will get from one specific person. While many actors who play characters in biopics often spend time with the real-life people those characters are based on, Wood wasn't afforded that luxury.

Fans are excited to see Wood's portrayal of Madonna, but the actor explained that the character wasn't even cleared with Madge. Wood explained, "I was like, 'Yeah, so you guys obviously talked to Madonna. How'd it go?' And they were like... 'We...' - I was like, 'Oh, great. Now -- great, thanks, guys. You just put me on bad terms with Madonna.'"

It Was Filmed In Just 18 Days

Rainn Wilson; Dr Demento; roku

Even small indie films have a production schedule that lasts for several months, but Weird was shot in just 18 days. Radcliffe explained, "It was an unbelievably fast shoot, and I don't know quite how we did it. But I think we did. I think it's gonna be good." Cramming every little shot of a major two-hour movie into less than three weeks is a logistical phenomenon. That's especially the case when the film features cameos from literally dozens of well-known actors and comedians, as the production would have had to work around every one of their schedules.

Not only that, but the film managed to avoid any COVID-19 delays. The movie's production absolutely had Lady Luck on its side, and the fact that the crew accomplished making the movie in just 18 days and that it resulted in a critically acclaimed movie, which has 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, is a huge achievement.

Aaron Paul Almost Had A Cameo

Jesse Pinkman playing peekaboo in Breaking Bad

Given that Aaron Paul played the character nine years ago in the Funny or Die sketch, it would have been a nod to the hardcore fans if he had a cameo. According to Paul, he did almost have a cameo in Weird, but he, unfortunately, had to bow out after testing positive for COVID. He had to self-isolate for 10 days, and given that 10 days is more than half of the production time, Paul sadly had to sit it out.

The actor mentioned, "Al asked me to do a little cameo in it, and I went to do it, and as I was waiting for my COVID test, they look up at me, and they're like, 'You have COVID.'" He added that he was "crushed." But given how the movie is absolutely stacked with cameos, fans are hardly going to miss out.

How Daniel Radcliffe Was Cast

Quinta Brunson and Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Quinta Brunson and Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Weird Al was singlehandedly behind the casting decision, and according to Radcliffe, the decision came from the musician seeing the actor on The Graham Norton Show. On the British talk show, Radcliffe sang "The Elements," a Tom Lehrer song that sees him list every element on the periodic table, and he did it in front of "Colin Farrell and a very amused Rihanna."

The actor added, "I guess Al saw that and was like, 'This guy maybe gets it.'" The clip of Radcliffe performing "The Elements" perfectly encapsulates the energy, silliness, and excitement that Al is known for, and it's a typically unconventional and weird way to find the main actor of the movie, not to mention it was probably the easiest audition of Radcliffe's life.

Radcliffe Is Worried About What His In-Laws Will Think

daniel radcliffe as weird al from satiricial biopic

Such a wacky performance will always make an actor worry about how it'll be perceived, and a movie's editing can either butcher or improve what was shot too. So there's really no knowing how the movie will turn out, even if it was the greatest script in the world.

However, while Radcliffe might be a little worried about what audiences will think of his performance, he's most worried about what his in-laws will think. The actor revealed, "Actually, after director Eric Appel and Al, the people I'm most concerned about their reaction is probably my in-laws, Erin's dad and brother, because they're massive fans as well."

Radcliffe Doesn't Actually Sing In The Movie

daniel radcliffe as weird al performing like a surgeon in biopic

Fans want to see classic Weird Al songs performed in the film, but though Radcliffe was cast based on his performance of "The Elements," it comes as a surprise that he doesn't actually sing in Weird. The actor did perform Weird Al's songs while shooting the movie, but it was dubbed over in post-production by the real Weird Al. It's a testament to how great of a singer Al is that Radcliffe couldn't hit his register.

Radcliffe revealed, "I remember asking, 'Am I going to have to sing? Because I can sing, but not in Al's register.' Eric was like, You'll be lip-syncing the entire way through.' We wanted to laugh at the trope of a famous actor miming along." While actors often dub over the production audio in post, rarely is a different performer dubbing over an actor's performance, but it's one of the many ways Weird lives up to its name.

Wearing The Hawaiian Shirt Was A Huge Responsibility For Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al

Weird Al has such a huge and dedicated fanbase and his music has racked up billions of plays on streaming services like Spotify, so it's hardly surprising that Radcliffe felt the pressure. The actor explained that it seemed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders when playing the music legend.

Radcliffe mentioned, "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 percent unassailably true story of Weird Al's depraved and scandalous life." If Radcliffe does end up playing Wolverine, it's almost as if the actor is addicted to stress, as playing Logan after Hugh Jackman is a tough act to follow.

Wood Was Told To Play Madonna On Cocaine

WEIRD AL1(1)

The music industry in the 1980s was full of drug-fuelled parties, and Appel seemingly didn't hold back on depicting that, as Wood revealed that he directed her to play Madonna "on a lot of cocaine." The actor added, "Everything she does is a pathological lie to get ahead in her career. So it was basically taking the genius that is Madonna and turning her into a sociopath that ends up running a drug cartel.”

Given that she was told to play Madonna like she was on cocaine and didn't get the pop star's permission, it's no surprise that Wood thinks she's in Madge's bad books, especially if she's depicted as somewhat unhinged. Based on the movie's overwhelmingly positive reception, it seems like Madonna could end up being one of the most iconic villain characters of the past few years.

NEXT: 10 Movies & TV Shows Where You've Seen The Cast Of Weird The Al Yankovic Story Before