{"id":2515579,"date":"2026-07-24T14:08:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T14:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2515579"},"modified":"2026-07-24T14:08:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T14:08:42","slug":"pete-davidson-shares-first-look-at-his-transformation-for-upcoming-movie-tommy-karate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/pete-davidson-shares-first-look-at-his-transformation-for-upcoming-movie-tommy-karate\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Davidson Shares First Look at His Transformation for Upcoming Movie \u201cTommy Karate\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pete Davidson stars as real-life mafia killer Tommy Pitera in the upcoming film <em>Tommy Karate<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The film is based on Philip Carlo&#8217;s book about Pitera&#8217;s crimes and his capture by DEA Agent Jim Hunt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Davidson co-wrote the screenplay and calls the project a dream job he&#8217;s worked on for over three years<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Pete Davidson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/pete-davidson\/\" class=\"null\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Pete Davidson<\/a> is stepping into the role of real-life mafia killer Tommy Pitera.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Production is underway in Atlanta for <em>Tommy Karate<\/em>, in which Davidson, 32, stars as &#8220;notorious Bonanno crime family killer Tommy Pitera,&#8221; according to a press release. A first-look black-and-white image of the <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em> alum in character sees him pensively looking ahead while sporting noticeably longer hair and colored contacts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Tommy Karate<\/em> is based on Philip Carlo&#8217;s 2009 book <em>The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath<\/em>, which chronicles Pitera&#8217;s early life and entrance into the Italian Mafia crime family in New York City. Pitera, who hails from Gravesend, Brooklyn, is suspected of as many as 60 murders, and earned his nickname for his martial arts skills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The film will &#8220;chart the pursuit and capture of one of America&#8217;s most ruthless mobsters and serial killers by notorious DEA Agent Jim Hunt,&#8221; according to a press release. Pitera was actively committing the string of murders across several Brooklyn neighborhoods (notably, Sheepshead Bay) throughout the 1970s, and until his arrest and trial in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\"><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"><\/p>\n<p><em>Pete Davidson<\/em><br \/><em>Credit: Phil Sakanashi<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Davidson, who also serves as a producer on the film, co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Justin Chon and Joseph Gay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A source close to Davidson tells PEOPLE, &#8220;Pete&#8217;s been working on this film with Justin [the director] for years. He&#8217;s excited to be bringing it to life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Davidson previously spoke on the pride he has for the storytelling at the heart of the film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;<em>Tommy Karate<\/em> is the greatest mob story never told,&#8221; Davidson said in a statement to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Deadline;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/03\/pete-davidson-mafia-killer-tommy-karate-paul-walter-hauser-1236767713\/\" class=\"null\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Deadline<\/a> in March. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been working on this for over three years, and I&#8217;m beyond thrilled that it&#8217;s finally in motion. Playing a role like this is a dream job. We have a great team behind this one, and I can&#8217;t wait for people to see what we&#8217;ve come up with.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:PEOPLE's free daily newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pitera, 71, is currently serving a life sentence in prison at USP Big Sandy in Inez, Ky., following his 1992 conviction for six murders and his role in a drug-dealing operation in Brooklyn, according to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:New York Daily News.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/2026\/07\/23\/pete-davidson-tommy-karate-pitera-mafia-movie\/\" class=\"null\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><em>New York Daily News.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The film will notably mark one of the comedian&#8217;s first dramatic film roles after previously stepping into comedic parts for numerous films, including <em>Set It Up<\/em>, <em>Bodies Bodies Bodies,<\/em> the semi-autobiographical <em>The King of Staten Island<\/em>, <em>Riff Raff<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Simon Rex, Camila Mendes, and Paul Walter Hauser also appear in the film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:People;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/pete-davidson-shares-first-look-at-upcoming-movie-tommy-karate-12025961\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Pete Davidson stars as real-life mafia killer Tommy Pitera in the upcoming film Tommy Karate The film is based on Philip Carlo&#8217;s book about Pitera&#8217;s crimes and his capture by DEA Agent Jim Hunt Davidson co-wrote the screenplay and calls the project a dream job he&#8217;s worked on for over three years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2515582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[496461,474543,496459,29333,496460,496457,496458],"class_list":["post-2515579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-jim-hunt","tag-justin-chon","tag-karate","tag-pete-davidson","tag-philip-carlo","tag-tommy-pitera","tag-upcoming-film-tommy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pete-Davidson-Shares-First-Look-at-His-Transformation-for-Upcoming.com2Fen2Fpeople_2182F3ed937077e2ec85a18d48ba150e9e72e.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2515579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2515583,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515579\/revisions\/2515583"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2515582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2515579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2515579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2515579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}