Pete Davidson is stepping away from comedy for his most dramatic role yet. The actor looks almost unrecognizable as infamous mob killer Thomas “Tommy Karate” Pitera in the first official image from Tommy Karate. The crime thriller is based on a real story and is currently filming in Atlanta.
What else do we know about the Pete Davidson Tommy Karate movie?
The new photo gives fans their first look at Pete Davidson as Pitera, a feared enforcer for the Bonanno crime family. Davidson is seen in a black suit and with a serious look on his face, a different look from his usual comedic persona.
Tommy Karate is adapted from Philip Carlo’s non-fiction book The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath. The film follows the investigation that led to the arrest of Pitera, a mob hitman suspected of as many as 60 murders. His nickname came from the martial arts training that made him one of the crime family’s most feared enforcers.
Paul Walter Hauser plays DEA agent Jim Hunt in the film. He attempts to bring Pitera to justice. Camila Mendes and Simon Rex are also included in the cast. Justin Chon (Blue Bayou, Pachinko) directs the feature from a screenplay he co-wrote alongside Davidson and Joseph Gay.
Davidson is also a producer, with Lucan Toh, Ford Corbett and Nathan Klingher. He referred to playing Tommy Pitera as his “dream job.” Davidson said he spent more than three years developing the project and was excited to show audiences a different side of his acting.
According to Deadline, North.Five.Six, Two & Two Pictures and Grammercy Park Media are behind the project distribution. Tommy Karate is currently in production in Atlanta, Georgia. The crime thriller appears to be nearing completion, though the filmmakers have not yet announced a release date.
