Pee-wee's Big Holiday

Pee-wee Herman has long existed in a queer space, though one only subliminally alluded to. Paul Reubens’ feminine boyish persona, oscillating between effeminate gay man and asexual man-child, has long played with ideas of gender expression that comment on an underlying queerness. From the drag queen genie Jambi in Playhouse to Pee-wee’s episodes of crossdressing, from his makeup and exaggerated feminine gestures to the fluctuating inflections of his comical voice, Pee-wee has been deconstructing gender and sexuality norms all along while disguising it as campy comedy. Yet Pee-wee never directly acknowledged the queerness of his imaginative universe and even struggled with embracing it, as an early episode of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” shows. In the Season 2 episode “Pee-wee Catches a Cold,” the host reveals the daily secret word as “Out,” and then immediately falls ill, as if weakened by the idea of being out to the world. But after a 28 year absence from the big screen, Pee-Wee is finally coming out.

In this age of delayed sequels, Paul Reubens has achieved something almost miraculous with Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, delivering a film that is just as joyful, hilarious and wonderfully weird as you hoped. 31 years after Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Reubens has returned to his iconic and enduring character for a new Netflix movie in which Pee-wee Herman is inspired by Magic Mike star Joe Manganiello to take his first-ever vacation. We had a chance to speak with Reubens and Manganiello following the world premiere at SXSW, where the two discussed their bromance and whether or not Pee-wee's Big Holiday is a prequel.

Judd Apatow knows a thing or two about manchildren. He’s built an entire career chronicling the exploits of immature boys straining for maturity against the pull of their juvenile urges. Apatow’s latest producing effort, though, presents an entirely different sort of overgrown kid: Pee-wee Herman, who’s less of an adult with the impulses of a child as a child in the body of an adult...

There are few TV shows as purely, innocently, and energetically delightful as Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the Saturday morning vehicle for Paul Reubens’ grey-suited man-child. An adult perpetually trapped at the stage of early boyhood in which kids mostly say funny nonsensical things and that’s it, Pee-Wee and his colorful gang of anthropomorphic pals brought a hefty dose of camp humor to the happy shiny

Since the Judd Apatow produced Pee-wee Herman movie made its move from movie theaters to Netflix (Universal passed on the film and Netflix quickly picked up the rights), we’ve been anxiously awaiting more from the first Pee-wee movie in over 25 years...

So far, the 2016 South By Southwest Film festival has a good amount of sci-fi, a little bit of nostalgia and even the Boogyman. After previously announcing the opening night film as Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some, the fest has unveiled six more film and television titles debuting in Austin this March.

After teasing their upcoming original film lineup for some time now, Netflix has finally announced release dates for three major titles: Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation, the company’s first original film acquisition for exclusive distribution; Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, which marks Paul Reubens’ big screen return as the beloved, iconic character; and that Adam Sandler comedy western movie that’s been causing quite a fuss.

In our exhausting time of remakes, reboots and nostalgia-driven adaptations, it’s refreshing to be excited for a new Pee-wee Herman film. Paul Reubens’ classic character is so joyful and lovable that it’s hard not to be thrilled about a new Pee-wee movie, even if it is tugging on our old nostalgia strings. Adding to our excitement is the latest addition to the cast: Magic Mike star Joe Manganiello, who apparently (and appropriately) plays a biker.

Hollywood has a nostalgia problem. New ideas are dead. The old ideas keep coming back, like zombies with agents and managers. Studios cravenly target brands and properties with broad appeal across generations. Frankly, I’m getting a little sick of it, and starting right now I’m putting my foot down. I’m not going to get suckered in by these shameless attempts to milk my fond childhood memories anymo— ZOMFG IT’S PEE-WEE HERMAN.

After four years of development, Pee-wee Herman's next movie is official! Netflix announced today that filming on Pee-wee's Big Holiday is set to begin in March, with Judd Apatow producing and John Lee (Inside Amy Schumer) making his directorial debut.