Hey ho, let's go! SNL alum Pete Davidson is set to star in I Slept with Joey Ramone, a biopic revolving around the life and times of the Ramones frontman from Netflix and STX Films. The project finds Davidson reteaming with Jason Orley, who directed the comedic actor in Hulu's Big Time Adolescence. Orley also shot Davidson's Netflix comedy special Pete Davidson: Alive from New York. Now the duo will chronicle the storied events of Joey Ramone's journey as a god of the punk rock scene. Davidson and Orley penned the screenplay, which is based on the Mickey Leigh memoir of the same name.
"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,” said Adam Fogelson, Chairman STXfilms Motion Picture. “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. 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.”
Directed by Orley, I Slept with Joey Ramone will be executive produced by Davidson, Leigh, Rory Rosegarten, and David Spiegelman.
Davidson has seen his Hollywood dance card fill up rather quickly after starring in films like Big Time Adolescence and Judd Apatow's The King of Staten Island. Soon fans can catch him as Blackguard in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which is set to hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on August 6, 2021.
As the lead vocalist of the timeless punk outfit the Ramones, Joey Ramone is about as iconic as they come. His signature vocals, peppered with snarls, shouts, and defiance, accompany some of the biggest anti-establishment anthems in all of punk rock history. Notorious for stirring up crowds and bedsheets, portraying Joey Ramone could be Davidson's most challenging performance to date.