In 1985 it was Tim Burton that brought Paul Reubens' child-like alter-ego to the screen. Seems like Reubens knows how to pick his collaborators. A generation later, the news from Variety is that Pee-Wee Herman will soon return, in a new movie produced by Judd Apatow.
Following Burton's Pee Wee's Big Adventure (and its non-Burton sequel Big Top Pee-Wee), the character was big news in the States, with the Saturday morning show Pee Wee's Playhouse running on CBS from 1986 until 1990. It was mad. Laurence Fishburn was in it. Then there was the unfortunate incident in the disreputable Florida movie theatre, and suddenly Reubens was no longer a children's entertainer...
Lately though, he's been having a bit of a renaissance. Reruns of Pee Wee's Playhouse still play to enthusiastic audiences, a screening and q&a last week of Big Adventure at the LA Film Festival was packed out, and Reubens' sell out Nokia Theatre one-man Pee-Wee Herman show is headed for ten weeks on Broadway, starting in October. He's back, baby!
"Let's face it," says Apatow, "the world needs more Pee-Wee Herman. I am so excited to be working with Paul Reubens, who is an extraordinary and ground-breaking actor and writer. It's so great to watch him return with such relevance."
Reubens is currently at work on the road-movie script, co-writing with Paul Rust (who acted in I Love You, Beth Cooper and Inglourious Basterds). He's stoked to be working with Apatow: ""There is no one like Judd in our business. He loves comedy with emotion and heart, and he sees what we do as art. I can't believe I'm getting this opportunity to be working with him."