Why the Biopic Movie Genre Continues to Grow in Popularity

The movie poster for “Weird: the Al Yankovic Story” features Daniel Radcliffe who plays Weird Al Yankovic.

BY JUDY SCOTT

In 1979, Al Yankovic, a nerdy Cal Poly architecture student, stepped across the hall from the radio studio where he worked as a DJ, entered the men’s restroom and strapped on his accordion. 

His recording of “My Bologna” – a parody of the Knack’s smash hit “My Sharona,” recorded next to urinals and porcelain sinks – would set him on a course to becoming an 80s cultural icon. His story is just one of many to recently be turned into a Hollywood biopic.

Biopics – short for biographical motion picture – are movies that dramatize the life of a public or historical figure. The genre has been around since the days of silent film, yet there has been a notable resurgence of biopic movies since the early 2000s but especially in the last six years. “Oppenheimer,” “Rocketman,” “Elvis,” “Napoleon,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Ferrari” are just a few of the many biopic films recently released.

There are a few possible reasons for the genre's increase in popularity. According to Tufts Daily, “Biopics have always been a staple in American cinema, but their explosion in recent years is a Band-Aid over the fatal wounds dealt to Hollywood by streaming.” 

Film Fans today are far less likely to visit movie theaters when they can watch the film for a fraction of the price when it comes out on Hulu or Paramount+ a few months later.

“To ensure ticket sales, studios must create films centered around recognizable media and figures,” Tufts continued. “The power of name recognition is what led to the dominance of franchises and superhero movies, and it extends to real-life people as well.” 

Another reason for the increase in biopics is financial success and safety. “Film executives want definite and instant hits, a difficult task to achieve in the highly competitive industry,” according to Eagle eye News. “It is this market logic that explains the abundance of superhero films as well as biopics.”

There even was a biopic made about Cal Poly’s very own Weird Al Yankovic called “Weird: the Al Yankovic Story”. The New York Times described it as “An uproarious sham biopic” which was co-written by Yankovic himself. The film also recreates the iconic bathroom recording with Daniel Radcliffe portraying Weird Al.

Described as a sham biopic, the movie does heavily exaggerate certain aspects of Weird Al’s life, but the truthful parts only add to the silliness. “Yes, Yankovic did acquire his first accordion from a traveling salesman. Yes, he did record his first hit in a public bathroom. And yes, he did achieve almost instantaneous success. Telling it straight turns out to be Yankovic’s greatest prank,” according to The New York Times.

While biopics, like superhero movies, are like movie candy to audiences craving the familiar, feeding guilty pleasures might not be the best for originality.