Saturday Night Live breakout star Pete Davidson’s next project will see him portray punk rock legend Joey Ramone in the upcoming Netflix biopic I Slept With Joey Ramone.
The Ramones frontman passed away on April 15th, 2001 at the age of 49 after a seven-year battle with lymphoma with the film being based on the 2010 memoir of the same name, which was written by Ramone’s brother Mickey Leigh.
Davidson, who enjoyed critical success with his semi-autobiographical 2020 film King of Staten Island, co-wrote the film’s treatment with Jason Orley with the latter also set to direct. The pair previously collaborated on 2019’s Big Time Adolescence and Davidson’s Alive from New York comedy special.
The project is being developed by Netflix and STXfilm and is being made with the cooperation and support of the Joey Ramone Estate.
In a statement, STXfilms chairman Adam Fogelson said, “I Slept with Joey Ramone is a great rock anthem that will make an equally great rock biopic, set apart by a universal story of family. Pete is perfect for this role and we’re excited he and Jason will be bringing this icon of rock to life and thrilled to be collaborating once again with our friends at Netflix.”
Davidson was just 20-years-old when he joined the cast of long-running sketch show Saturday Night Live, becoming one of the youngest cast members in the series’ history. He became a household name after his short-lived engagement to pop star Ariana Grande become tabloid fodder, and has recently been gaining attention for his apparent romance with Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor.
As Ramone, Davidson will chronicle the life and times of the legendary musician who undoubtedly changed the landscape of rock and punk music with his frenetic style.
The Ramones formed in New York in 1974 and defined the downtown music scene of the iconic city. The band is also credited with igniting the British punk scene with performances in the UK in 1976.
Although the band broke up in 1996, their influence has lived on with countless modern-day musicians citing them as inspiration.
Johnny (John Cummings), Dee Dee (Douglas Colvin) and Tommy Ramone (Tom Erdelyi) who co-founded the group with Ramone have all since passed away too.
Referring to the fact that Mickey Leigh wrote about sharing a bed with his brother when they were kids, Fogelson said, “When you share a bed with someone — and not just a bed, but a childhood, a family, and a lifetime — you know that person better than anybody else.
“Mickey Leigh not only collaborated with his big brother’s band — he has irreplaceable memories of and insights into Joey Ramone, having supported him when no one else would and witnessed him overcome adversity in the most dramatic way.”
No release date for the film has been scheduled as yet.
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