Judd Apatow To Direct 'SNL' Cast Member Pete Davidson In Autobiographical Comedy [Updated]

Update: Universal has given this project a release date – June 19, 2020. No other new details, including a title, have been revealed. Our original article continues below.Judd Apatow hasn't been behind the camera for a big screen project since teaming up with Amy Schumer on Trainwreck back in 2015. Now Universal Pictures is reteaming with the director of Knocked Up and Funny People for a new untitled comedy starring Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson.Deadline has word on Judd Apatow's forthcoming Pete Davidson movie. Funnily enough, Davidson had a small role in Trainwreck as a stoned patient of Bill Hader's doctor character, a role not too far removed from the comedian's real life persona at the time. However, this new project will be even more inspired by Davidson himself as the project is said to have "a storyline that mirrors the comic's own life," and that includes the fact that the comedian's real life firefighter father died on 9/11.

Davidson hasn't been shy about discussing this topic in his stand-up. Here's a bit from last year:

Davidson has made headlines quite a bit over the past year, ranging from tabloid reports on his relationship with pop star Ariana Grande to his controversial political rant poking fun at Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw for having an eyepatch, a consequence of an injury he sustained after an explosion in Afghanistan caused the loss of his eye while he was serving as a Navy SEAL. However, the two did make amends on a different Weekend Update segment after it happened.

More recently, Pete Davidson was at the center of a suicide scare following the constant barrage of hate from fans of ex-fiancé Ariana Grande, and the endless tabloid coverage of their break-up. Davidson has also struggled with mental health issues, including depression, as well as substance abuse, something that he's shied away from in the past year. But these are all topics that he's never had a problem discussing publicly, and as any comedian does, he ends up using them as jokes. For example, that suicide scare was given a hilarious aside during a recent Weekend Update segment on SNL with Pete Davidson and John Mulaney:

This will be Davidson's most high profile role yet, though the comedian is coming off a strong co-starring performance in an indie called Big Time Adolescence, one of the titles that played the 2019 Sundance Film Festival (our review is coming soon). It's another project that sees him playing a version of himself, albeit in the form of a loveable high school townie loser who is like a surrogate big brother to his ex-girlfriend's teenage brother.

At a young age, Davidson has become quite the respected comedian. He's one of the sharpest stand-ups on the scene right now, and even though he's not always good at playing characters on SNL, his writing speaks for itself, especially when he goes on rants and short stand-up style bits on Weekend Update. So it only makes sense that he's co-writing this movie with Judd Apatow and Dave Sirus. I can't wait to see how this turns out.