Paul Reubens wants to make a dark Pee-wee Herman movie. An oddly childlike grown man known for his guttural laugh and signature gray suit, the Pee-wee Herman character has been around since Reubens created him for his improv comedy group The Groundlings in the late '70s. He was all the rage in the '80s thanks to the Pee-wee's Playhouse TV series and 1986 Tim Burton movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure, but mostly went off the radar following Reubens' adult theater scandal in the early '90s. More recently, Reuben revived the character for a stage show tour before reprising him in the 2016 Netflix film, Pee-wee's Big Holiday.
Produced by Judd Apatow, Pee-wee's Big Holiday saw Reubens return to his iconic role for his first Pee-wee movie since Big Top Pee-wee in 1988. The film earned generally positive reviews, with critics praising it for its enjoyably simple wacky humor and, surprisingly, what many argue could be construed as a queer romance between Pee-wee and actor Joe Manganiello (who plays himself). It appears Reubens not only wants to continue playing the character, but take him even further in an adult direction in his next film.
In a much larger profile on Reubens, THR revealed the actor wants to make a film called Pee-wee Herman Story. The script, which he's been working on since the '90s, follows Pee-wee as he gets out of prison and becomes an unexpected yodeling star, only to move to Hollywood, start a movie career, and develop a pill and alcohol addiction in what Reubens calls "the Valley of the Dolls Pee-wee movie". However, Netflix head Ted Sarandos and Apatow have already passed on the project, with the former allegedly arguing it "doesn't check off all the boxes" for a Pee-wee movie, according to THR's sources.
Rebuens believes he can produce Pee-wee Herman Story for $15 million (complete with de-aging CGI on him as Pee-wee), which would be half the budget of Pee-wee's Big Holiday. He's yet to lock down a director for the project, but has apparently attracted the attention of none other than the Safdie Brothers. The filmmaking duo are coming off their critically-acclaimed success with Uncut Gems (which is easily their highest-grossing movie to date) and are said to be "considering" the idea. In the meantime, THR's sources claim Reubens has already found a backer in the UK willing to pay for $10 million of the proposed budget (something Reubens wouldn't confirm during their interview).
As bizarre as Pee-wee Herman Story probably (and understandably) sounds to some, its premise could make for a truly exhilarating film in the Safdies' hands. The pair's movies aren't for everyone, but they've delivered some fascinatingly dark character studies featuring actors like Robert Pattinson and Adam Sandler in the past. Furthermore, Pee-wee Herman Story's themes about the perils of fame, fortune, and addiction are ones the Safdies have plumbed to great depths throughout their filmography. This collaboration might be too (unexpectedly?) perfect to actually happen, but if anyone's earned the right to try something this audacious with Pee-wee Herman, it's definitely his creator.
Source: THR