For as popular as the Harry Potter franchise, it would never have been the target of a “Weird Al” Yankovic parody, but there seems to be a reason for it. Legally, Yankovic doesn’t need to get permission from those he spoofs as his material is protected by the parody law, yet the famous parodist would usually seek their blessings. He will avoid the parody if someone is dissatisfied with it as a professional courtesy.
Before the premiere of his Roku biopic WEIRD: The Story of Al YankovicYankovic spoke about the film in an interview with THR. In the film, Yankovic is played by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe. It turns out that Yankovic is reminiscent of when he wanted to make some sort of parody about Harry Potter a while back, going so far as to call Warner Bros. to obtain their consent. He eventually left the parody when he didn’t get a blessing from the studio, though he says the incident also taught him a valuable lesson.
“I don’t think I ever mentioned this, but whenever it was, like a decade or two ago, I think I approached it — was it Warner Bros. that released that movie? I just approached the film company to get a general blessing, such as, “Hey, I’d like to make a Harry Potter parody.” And I think they said “No” or they never responded or whatever. But it was kind of like, sometimes when you’re dealing with franchises and you ask for permission, there are so many people who can say “No” And they usually do. So I learned my lesson there that when I’m doing a franchise, it’s usually better to just do it and ask for forgiveness rather than permission.”
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe spoofs “Weird Al”
It all comes back to Daniel Radcliffe berating “Weird Al” Yankovic for the new movie WEIRD: The Story of Al Yankovic. The film isn’t quite an accurate portrayal of Yankovic’s background, faking musicians’ biopics by imagining the “Eat It” singer living a much more difficult lifestyle. Directed by Eric Appel and co-written by Yankovic and Appel, the film also features Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, Toby Huss, Julianne Nicholson, and Quinta Brunson.
“When my last movie UHF came out in 1989, I made a solemn promise to my fans that every 33 years I would release a major film, like clockwork,” Yankovic said in a statement when the film was announced. “I’m very happy to say that we’re on schedule. And I’m absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be playing me in the film. I have no doubt that this is the role for which future generations will remember him.”
WEIRD: The Story of Al Yankovic will be released on The Roku Channel for streaming on November 4, 2022. You can watch the official trailer for the movie below.