Pete Davidson to mix martial arts and the mafia as Paul Walter Hauser gives chase in the true crime adaptation Tommy Karate

It’s been in the works for three years, but Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live, The Pickup, The King os Staten Island) is finally ready for his Tommy Karate project with Pachinco’s Justin Chon to get moving. The new film endeavor finds Davidson playing the notorious mafia killer Tommy Pitera, also known as Tommy Karate. Production for the crime thriller begins in June, with inspiration coming from the non-fiction true crime book The Butcher: Anatomy Of A Mafia Psychopath by Philip Carlo.

Who is Tommy Karate?

According to Deadline, Tommy Karate charts the pursuit and capture of one of America’s most ruthless mobsters and serial killers by notorious DEA Agent Jim Hunt (who also helped take down El Chapo), played by Paul Walter Hauser (The Luckiest Man in America, Richard Jewell, Cruella).

Joining Davidson and Hauser for Justin Chon’s adaptation are Camila Mendes (Riverdale, Do Revenge, Upgraded) and Simon Rex (Blink Twice, Everything’s Going to be Great, Tow). Chon directs the crime thriller from a screenplay jointly written by Davidson, Chon, and Joseph Gay.

Davidson on his excitement for the film

“Tommy Karate is the greatest mob story never told,” Davidson said. “I’ve been working on this for over three years, and I’m beyond thrilled that it’s finally in motion. Playing a role like this is a dream job. We have a great team behind this one, and I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve come up with.”

Where is the real Tommy Karate now?

According to Deadline‘s report, Pitera was an American mobster and a member of the Bonanno crime family in New York City. While moving up the ranks, law enforcement suspected Pitera of committing 60 murders. In a bizarre twist, officers believed Pitera used martial arts in his fights, earning him the nickname Tommy Karate. He is currently serving a life sentence at USP Big Sandy in Inez, Kentucky, after going down in 1992 for murder and operating a massive drug operation.

A karate-wielding mobster? That sounds awesome. It also sounds like an ’80s movie you’d find on the rack at Van Lee’s Video. I would love to know what kind of martial arts training Davidson is learning for this film. Tommy Karate sounds like such a bizarre concept that I need to check it out when a trailer drops. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.

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