The Safdie Bros Have Been Approached To Direct A Dark PEE-WEE Movie
Here's an interesting bit of news that may or may not ever amount to anything: in a new profile with The Hollywood Reporter, Pee-wee's Big Adventure star Paul Reubens says he's trying to get an all-new Pee-wee Herman movie off the ground, one that would be much darker in tone and subject matter than any previous Pee-wee movie.
Says THR:
"In it, Pee-wee emerges from prison to become an unlikely yodeling star; then moves to Hollywood and becomes a movie star; then he develops a severe pill and alcohol addiction that turns him into a monster.
"I've referred to it as the Valley of the Dolls Pee-wee movie," Reubens says, dead serious. "It's about fame."
For anyone who's been keeping up with the world of Pee-wee Herman, this news isn't entirely new: we've known Reubens has been interested in a "dark" Pee-wee project for many years (as THR points out, the script for this one was actually written back in the '90s, and tinkered with by Reubens ever since). But it is interesting to hear that he's still trying to get it off the ground, and doubly interesting when you hear who he's been talking to about directing it: Josh and Benny Safdie, directors of the recent Uncut Gems.
THR's report says that Reuben approached the Safdies directly, and says the brothers are now considering the project. Will it ever get anywhere? It seems unlikely (in the "Too good to be true" sense, the "They might have trouble financing this one" sense, and in the "Is that really something the Safdies would sign up for?" sense), but it's certainly a fun thing to imagine.
Here's a question: do y'all want another Pee-wee Herman movie? An informal poll of the BMD staff reveals that we are not in agreement as to the general quality of 2016's Pee-wee's Big Holiday, and I honestly can't tell if younger viewers have much affection for the character. Let's say they made another one, and let's say it's this "dark" Pee-wee movie. Would y'all be into that, or would you prefer they did something sweeter, more in the vein of Pee-wee's Big Holiday? Nothing at all? We're curious, so please head to the comments below and let us know where your heads are at. And, of course, stay tuned for any further updates on this one as they roll in.
