Aaron Paul Forced to Back Out of Weird Al Yankovic Movie After COVID Diagnosis

Fans looking forward to the upcoming Weird Al biopic movie, WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, may recall that the feature film actually started as a parody trailer on Funny or Die many years ago. Though Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will be taking on the part of the accordion playing-parody artist, Weird Al was played by none other than Emmy winner Aaron Paul in the original video (you an watch it for yourself below). Speaking in a new interview, Paul confirmed that he was originally supposed to cameo in the upcoming movie but then at the last second was forced to pull out after...well, the same problem that many have sadly had in recent days, a positive COVID test.

"Funny story: Al asked me to do a little cameo in it," Paul revealed to CinemaBlend. "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.' I'm like, 'What?' They're like, 'Yeah. You tested positive for COVID.' I go, 'Oh, no!' So I couldn't do it, and then I was just out for like 10 solid days. I have never felt more sick in my life. And so we couldn't do the cameo, which I just absolutely was crushed about."

Paul added about the movie: "I read that script years ago and it was just so over the top beautiful. It was just when they were kind of poking around seeing if they could get this thing made, and I was really excited to see it finally kind of come together, and obviously Daniel [Radcliffe] is amazing. And so I think he's absolutely going to crush it."

Telling the story of Yankovic's life, the film will star Daniel Radcliffe in the title role with Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Toby Huss and Julianne Nicholson as Yankovic's parents, and Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento. Eric Appel, who directed the Funny or Die parody video of the same name over a decade ago, directed the film and co-wrote it with Yankovic.  

About the film, Radcliffe previously said: "I'm rarely excited to see the stuff that I'm in, I'm very, very excited to see that. It is...I mean, you know, it's a fully insane movie. It's one of the most fun things I've ever done. I don't know when exactly it'll be out hopefully later this year -- but, you know, it's one to look forward to."  

WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will premiere on The Roku Channel.