Warner Bros.
Rumors of a third Pee-wee Herman movie – a trilogy-completer! – have persisted for years, but now it seems as if we might be mere days away from getting an announcement of the official variety. Pee-wee himself (Paul Reubens, if you’re feeling formal) hit The Tonight Show last night where, with a minimum of goading, he fessed up to host Jimmy Fallon that, yes, there’s a new Pee-wee movie (officially) in the works, and yes, he and producer Judd Apatow definitely have a director on board. Well, who is it, you little be-bow-tied man? Tell us!
Reubens intimated that we could expect to hear more formal stuff about the project within a week or so, but let’s try to crack this one ourselves right now. Who is going to direct this new Pee-wee feature? We’ve got some ideas.
Judd Apatow
Reubens’ language on the subject can easily be misconstrued, but it shouldn’t be – Apatow is on board to produce the film and they have hired a director. To wit, Reubens told Fallon, “we hired a director, I can’t say yet.” The “we” is Reubens and Apatow, and it would seem like a weird bit of misdirection to so firmly establish that and then get mixed up about bringing a third person into the mix. Is Apatow directing the film? We vote no.
Nicholas Stoller
Apatow is the key here, a super-producer and Hollywood monolith who has produced a ton of projects for various directors over the years. One of the helmers Apatow works with most often is Stoller, who is just coming off the massive success that was Neighbors. Stoller is a solid, sweet director who traffics in comedy – perfect for Pee-wee. He’s also kind of free right now, with no current directorial jobs lined up and nothing but a Captain Underpants movie (due in 2017!) rounding out his writing work. Stoller, you sound suspiciously available right now.
Jason Segel
If Segel isn’t available or interested, why not his partner Segel? The funny man has yet to direct a feature-length film, but he’s starred in plenty (duh) and penned some big hits (Get Him to the Greek, The Muppets). It sounds like it’s time to make the jump, big guy. Segel has just wrapped up his turn in The End of the Tour, in which he plays David Foster Wallace, and that clear calendar sure sounds like a good indicator that it’s time to jump into the director’s chair.
David Wain
Wain recently completed a pair of directing gigs – the TV movie Old Soul and an episode of A to Z — and he’s currently filming the movie Brothers in Law, but he’s otherwise free enough. Wain’s absurdist vision of the world is a good fit for Pee-wee, but he’s also got a touch of sweetness that could serve such a feature well (admit it, Wet Hot American Summer is kind of sweet – just look at Janeane Garofalo and David Hyde Pierce’s wierdo romance!).
Paul Feig
The Bridesmaids director is definitely in demand right now, and he’s got no less than three directorial outings in various states of production, but you know what? that Ghostbusters film could take awhile, why not slide some Pee-wee action in before that one kicks off? Feig is becoming one of our best comedic directors, but he could give the film the attention to character it deserves.
Tim Burton
He did direct Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, after all, and perhaps he’s looking for a break after helming possible Oscar contender Big Eyes. This would be such a lovely reunion.
Randal Kleiser
The Big Top Pee-wee director is definitely available, even if his interests might be a little different now.
Adam McKay
McKay is a proven quantity in the Apatow machine, and he’s certainly got an interest in outsized characters (in an interview with ComingSoon last year, he compared Ron Burgundy to Pee-wee, which is a fair comparison in lots of ways). Why not revitalize a beloved character with a fresh take? Just don’t send him to cable.
Steven Spielberg
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Reubens said no when Fallon asked him about this – but you know what he said first? He said yes first. Yes. Make way for the Spielberg-directed Pee-wee film (no, this would never happen, but isn’t it weird to imagine?)
Who do you want to direct the new Pee-wee feature? Scream your answer out loud! (Or, also, feel free to type it into the comments.)
Related Topics: Judd Apatow
