“I’ve referred to it as the ‘Valley of the Dolls‘ Pee-wee movie,” Paul Reubens said about the “dark” Pee-Wee Herman movie he’s been hoping to make for a few years. “It’s about fame.” Last year, news came out the Reubens, the creator and character of Pee-Wee Herman, had approached “Uncut Gems” filmmakers the Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh, if they wanted to direct the film, and apparently, they were considering it.
And well, we may have our answer. HBO Max has revealed that the Safdies have agreed to produce a film in conjunction with HBO Documentary Films. In fact, they are already in production on a two-part documentary about the life of Paul Reubens.
Here’s the official logline:
A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts; the Paul Reubens documentary traces the life of the imaginative artist behind one of pop culture’s most celebrated and unlikely icons: Pee-wee Herman.
READ MORE: The Safdie Brothers Explain Why They’re No Longer Attached To ’48 Hrs’ Remake
The documentary is an HBO Documentary Films and Elara production, directed by Matt Wolf (“Spaceship Earth”) and produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Irishman,” “Joker”), Sebastian Bear-McClard (“Uncut Gems, “Good Time”), and Josh and Benny Safdie (“Uncut Gems, “Good Time”).
“I’ve been working with HBO since they were called Home Box Office! I’m honored and excited to continue my long history there. I love HBO, but I’m not going to marry them,” Reubens said in a statement.
“We all know Pee-wee Herman; it’s time for the world to meet Paul Reubens. I can’t wait to share his story,” director Matt Wolf said.
So, it’s not definitive, but to us, that reads like the Safdies passed on the idea of doing an entire “dark” feature about Pee-Wee, and instead decided to throw their muscle behind getting the documentary made. Time will tell if that’s exactly the case, but don’t be surprised if it is.
Paul Reubens image courtesy of Michael Ochs/Getty/HBO.