Weird Al Yankovic has undoubtedly cemented his place in internet history as one of its oldest gems since the massive network system exploded in usage and popularity in the 2000s and 2010s. The 63-year-old singer was already famous when he shot to fame aged 16 in 1976 with a parody song of his family’s Plymouth Belvedere played on The Dr. Memento radio show.
His singing career has steadily climbed since then, not to mention rising to popularity once again with YouTube parody songs of different artists and their popular hits. If his Michael Jackson parody cover Beat It (called Eat it) wasn’t enough to make you laugh, his idea once proposed certainly could have been!
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Weird Al Yankovic recalls being turned down for Harry Potter parody request
There is a very obvious reason why intellectual property law is at an all time high in the 21st century. People steal other people’s ideas left and right, and it would be foolish for even the most creative minds not to patent their work accordingly if they want to reap the benefits.
Weird Al Yankovic comes from a time when disputes over the plagiarism of songs were still common and legal disputes ensued. He was, however, smart enough to steal the idea, but the difference is that he makes parodies, so he’s pretty much free from all those legal issues.
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Either way, it must have been quite a disappointment for the Straight outta Lynwood artist of not having the opportunity to parody the theme track of one of the most important and successful film franchises of all time, we are talking about the Harry Potter franchise!
As Yankovic recalls while promoting his new biopic Bizarre: The Story of Al Yankovic, which is also arguably not a travesty, he revealed that he once tried to get his hands on (legally) the theme song of the Harry Potter franchise but was later turned down by Warner Bros. He said-
“Whenever it was, about a decade or two ago, I approached the movie company just to get a blanket blessing like, ‘Hey, I’d like to do a Harry Potter parody.’ And I think they said no, or they never answered or whatever,”
“But sometimes when you’re dealing with franchises and asking permission, you know, there are so many people who can say no, and they usually do.”
Well, it would have been a treat to listen to a parodied version of Hedwig’s Theme, Weird Al’s creativity knows no bounds!
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Weird Al Yankovic likes to think his new biopic is the last Harry Potter movie
by JK Rowling Harry Potter franchise got a pretty good eviction in 2011, with the second part of Deathly Hallows giving a much needed end to the 10 year strong franchise.
Fans would obviously have been saddened by the end of their beloved franchise at the time, with some even growing up with the actors themselves. But don’t worry, Potter fans, Weird Al Yankovic (jokingly) has a solution for that.
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If you’re a fan of the franchise and planning to watch the 63-year-old internet icon’s new parody biopic, called Bizarre: The Story of Al Yankovic, so you basically signed up to watch the latest addition in the Harry Potter frankness, or so Yankovic says.
While promoting his new biopic, the Amish Paradise The singer revealed he never got permission to write a Harry Potter-themed parody song, but jokingly shared that his favorite from the franchise is Weird: The Story of Al Yankovic-
“We like to think this is the last film in the Harry Potter franchise”
Even out of character (or maybe he’s still in character), Weird Al never fails to make everyone laugh. His new biopic is currently available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
