‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ Unveils First Look At ‘Abbott Elementary’ Emmy Nom Quinta Brunson As Oprah Winfrey

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Roku today unveiled a still announcing the casting of Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) as media mogul Oprah Winfrey in its buzzy musical biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Brunson joins an ensemble led by Daniel Radcliffe, which also includes Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss, as previously announced.

Known for pastiching and parodying the works of his musical contemporaries, Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time. The buzzy upcoming biopic that has Radcliffe playing the artist promises to hold nothing back and explore every facet of his life, from his childhood through his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like “”Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon,” while touching on his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle. Wood is playing Madonna, with Wilson as radio broadcaster Dr. Demento, and Nicholson and Huss as Yankovic’s parents.

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Yankovic and Eric Appel penned the feature, with the latter Funny or Die alum directing, after helming a short film of the same name for the production company back in 2010. Yankovic is also producing alongside Mike Farah, Joe Farrell and Whitney Hodack for Funny or Die, and Tim Headington, Lia Buman and Max Silva for Tango. Appel is exec producing with Funny or Die’s Henry Muñoz III and Tango’s Neil Shah. While Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will be available for streaming exclusively on The Roku Channel, a premiere date has not yet been set.

Brunson is best known as the creator, exec producer and star of ABC’s hit series Abbott Elementary—a mockumentary examining a group of Philadelphia educators, which has her playing second-grade teacher Janine Teagues. The multi-hyphenate recently made multiple kinds of history as the first Black woman to notch three comedy Emmy noms—for Outstanding Comedy Series, Actress and Writing—in the same year, as well as the youngest Black woman ever nominated for Comedy Actress, at the age of 32. Notable prior credits on the TV side include Big Mouth, Miracle Workers and A Black Lady Sketch Show.

Watch the Weird teaser above. Check out the first still of Brunson as Oprah below.

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

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