Aaron Paul almost filmed a cameo for the upcoming WEIRD: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story but had to drop out at the last minute. Paul is primarily known for his work on Breaking Bad and the sequel film El Camino with the former netting him 3 Emmy Awards. He’s also had lead roles on shows such as Westworld, The Path, and Bojack Horseman.
WEIRD: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story will follow the titular comedy musician on his rise to becoming one of the world’s most recognizable voices in musical comedy. The idea originated in a fake trailer from 2013 starring Paul parodying the biographical musician subgenre. The resulting film is set to star Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role, as well as supporting appearances from Rainn Wilson, Julianne Nicholson, and Paul’s Westworld co-star Evan Rachel Wood. WEIRD: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story was shot in only 18 days, an incredibly short turnaround for any film.
In an interview with Cinemablend, Paul reveals he was offered a cameo appearance in the new film but had to drop out after being diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. He says he was asked while waiting for the results of a COVID test which was revealed to be positive. Paul then had to self-isolate for 10 days to recover, missing the filming dates given how short principal photography was. Read his quote below:
Funny story: 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.’ 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.
The film is set to be distributed by The Roku Channel and is produced by Funny or Die, the comedy website that produced the original short Paul starred in. WEIRD: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story is rumored to have a much more over-the-top tone compared to most musician biopics given the subject matter, less restrained production cycle, and lack of involvement from major studios. Comedy writer/director Eric Appel makes his directorial debut with the project.
Weird Al Yankovic has been a staple of musical comedy for decades, and the film about his life story is long overdue. With Yankovic himself co-writing the screenplay, the film is sure to be true to his vision, whatever that vision may be, and is sure to appeal to the legions of Weird Al fans the artist has picked up throughout his storied career. Though Paul wasn’t able to participate, his upcoming projects like Dual and his appearance on Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul will keep the actor busy, and soon enough WEIRD: The ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Story will show how far the project has come since Paul’s initial involvement in 2013.
Source: Cinemablend
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Author: Warren Elliott
