Pete Davidson to Play Punk Rocker Joey Ramone in Netflix Biopic I Slept With Joey Ramon e

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Pete Davidson is moving from comedies to biopics in his newest movie role.

The Saturday Night Live comedian, 27, will play punk rock legend Joey Ramone in the Netflix and STXfilms biographical film I Slept With Joey Ramone, based on the musician's brother Mickey Leigh's memoir of the same name.

The announcement comes on the 20th anniversary of Ramone's death. The musician died April 15, 2001 from lymphoma. The Ramones' other founding members John Cummings, Douglas Colvin and Tom Erdelyi have also died.

The film was originally announced in 2017, and Nick Cassavetes was set to direct. However, Jason Orley, who worked with Pete Davidson on Big Time Adolescence and Pete Davidson: Alive from New York, will now direct the biopic.

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The previous collaborators adapted Leigh's memoir into a treatment for the film, and Davidson is credited as an executive producer alongside Leigh, Rory Rosegarten, and David Spiegelman. The film will be made with the cooperation and support of the Estate of Joey Ramone.

"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," STXfilms Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement.

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He continued, "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."

Davidson previously starred in Judd Apatow's 2020 comedy-drama The King of Staten Island, which was loosely based on the Staten Island native's life and early beginnings in comedy. The film garnered critical acclaim and Davidson was praised for his raw and authentic performance.

Davidson will also play the DC villain Blackguard in the Suicide Squad sequel, which is set to release later this year.