Studios are being forced to make some hard choices when it comes to the major films they had planned for theatrical release. Universal has been out in front of this, and it paid off big time when they sent Trolls World Tour straight to digital. Now they’re going to hope to replicate that success a movie they were banking a lot on, the Judd Apatow/Pete Davidson comedy The King of Staten Island.
Universal has chosen to move up The King of Staten and release it on digital June 12th. The film is loosely based on SNL’s Pete Davidson and his troubled upbringing in Staten Island, including the death of his father on 9/11, his issues with substance abuse, and of course, his career in stand-up comedy. Apatow directed and co-wrote the script with Davidson and comedian Dave Sirus. If life had stayed normal, the film would’ve had its big world premiere at SXSW.
Joining Davidson in the cast is terrific mix of actors and fellow comedians. Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Pamela Adlon, Steve Buscemi, Ricky Velez , Moises Arias, and Lou Wilson co-star.
Watch Judd Apatow and Pete Davidson make the announcement below.
SYNOPSIS: Scott (Davidson) has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He’s now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister (Maude Apatow, HBO’s Euphoria) heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother (Oscar® winner Marisa Tomei) and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys—Oscar (Ricky Velez, Master of None), Igor (Moises Arias, Five Feet Apart) and Richie (Lou Wilson, TV’s The Guest Book)—and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey (Bel Powley, Apple TV+’s The Morning Show).
But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray (Bill Burr, Netflix’s F Is for Family), it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life. The film also stars Steve Buscemi as Papa, a veteran firefighter who takes Scott under his wing, and Pamela Adlon (FX’s Better Things) as Ray’s ex-wife, Gina.
