Pete Davidson Is Making A Movie About His Life With Some Help From Judd Apatow

Ariana Grande’s ex-fiancé and possessor of BDE is getting his own chance in the spotlight: Pete Davidson will star in a semi-autobiographical comedy directed by Judd Apatow, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The feature film will be Apatow’s first since he directed Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer in 2015. The project is yet untitled, but there’s no doubt it’s gonna be both funny and a little dark.

The comedy will be based on Davidson’s life growing up in Staten Island, a place that Davidson notoriously hates. In a 2017 "Weekend Update" segment, the Saturday Night Live cast member detailed his hometown beef, noting that he once said in an interview: "I wished that when Hurricane Sandy hit Staten Island, it had finished the job." In turn, Staten Island did not react well to this public jab — one reporter from the New York Post replied to Davidson: "Keep talking like that and you'll be sleeping with the fishes." Davidson wears the death threat as a badge of honor, as he noted in the bit.

Davidson’s life has been marked by tragedy which is the center of much of his comedy; he lost his father, a firefighter, in the 9/11 attacks, an event that shaped his life and ultimately his comedy. Back in 2015 when he had just become one of the youngest SNL cast members at age 21, Davidson told Interview his often morbid comedy was a coping mechanism: "Things that I feel really sad about, I talk about. That way, if it’s funny, it doesn’t hurt anymore," he said.

It's no news to anyone that Davidson had a very rough go of it in 2018. After a whirlwind romance and broken engagement with Ariana Grande and a concerning suicidal Instagram post in December, it seems like Davidson is having a much better new year. His film Big Time Adolescence just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to good reviews. In the film, Davidson stars as a college drop-out named Zeke, and early reviews are saying it could be his turning point to become a serious leading man. Natalia Winkelman at the Daily Beast wrote that in the film, Davidson "becomes a bona-fide movie star."

Davidson reportedly wrote the script for the forthcoming semi-autobiographical film with Apatow and comedian Dave Sirus, a former writer at Saturday Night Live. And those who might wonder what a script from the comedian would be like need look only to a Davidson's most recent appearance on SNL, in which he and John Mulaney reviewed the Clint Eastwood film The Mule on "Weekend Update." During the bit, he poked a little fun at his suicide scare: "After observing John’s life, I publicly threatened suicide. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make that joke. It is funny though." The joke landed, and he got the laughs, which seems like a pretty good indicator as to what his new movie will be like: a bittersweet, but undeniably funny story.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or to your local suicide crisis center.