# Pee-wee's Big Holiday
**Pee-wee's Big Holiday** is a 2016 American comedy film in which [Pee-wee Herman](https://www.edgepedia.org/pee-wee-herman), played by [Paul Reubens](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-reubens), takes his first-ever holiday, a road trip from his hometown of Fairville to New York City, after meeting a mysterious stranger played by [Joe Manganiello](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-manganiello). It was a Netflix Original Film directed by John Lee, written by Reubens and Paul Rust, and produced by Reubens and Judd Apatow.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80031800) The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and began streaming on Netflix on March 18, 2016.[2](https://time.com/4194103/netflix-original-movies-streaming-2016/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Netflix Original Film, streamed from March 18, 2016, after a premiere at SXSW[2](https://time.com/4194103/netflix-original-movies-streaming-2016/) |
| Director / writers | John Lee (his feature directorial debut); screenplay by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80031800) • [3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quo-Oen1wkY) |
| Producers | Paul Reubens and Judd Apatow[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80031800) |
| Cast | Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman), Joe Manganiello (as himself), Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat, Stephanie Beatriz[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80031800) |
| Runtime / studio | 1 hour 29 minutes; production company Pee Wee Pictures[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pee_wees_big_holiday) |
| Critical scores | 85% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 46 reviews; Metascore of 63 on Metacritic[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pee_wees_big_holiday) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/critic-reviews/) |
| Significance | Reubens' first significant film reprisal of Pee-wee Herman in nearly 28 years, following *Big Top Pee-wee* (1988)[6](https://theweek.com/articles/616028/paul-reubens-opens-about-life-peewee-herman) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Pee-wee Herman lives in the picture-perfect town of Fairville, where he works as a short-order cook at Dan's Diner and fills his home with [Rube Goldberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/rube-goldberg)-style inventions. His routine life is upended when his all-boy band breaks up, and then when actor Joe Manganiello, playing a version of himself, arrives in town. The two become fast friends, bonding over a shared love of root beer barrel candy, and Joe persuades Pee-wee to leave town for the first time and travel to New York City for Joe's birthday party.[7](https://www.netflixmovies.com/pee-wees-big-holiday-2016) • [8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/umc.cmc.2vw39dz4z5r12as4l00ku4oh9)
The journey is episodic, in the mold of the 1985 road movie *Pee-wee's Big Adventure*. Along the way Pee-wee encounters an assortment of [Americana](https://www.edgepedia.org/americana) and eccentrics, including a gang of female bank robbers, a shotgun-wielding farmer, and an entire Amish village.[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/umc.cmc.2vw39dz4z5r12as4l00ku4oh9) The friendship between Pee-wee and Joe is the film's emotional center; the *Guardian* review noted that the homoerotic nature of their relationship is a running joke, and critics described the film as being about friendship and acceptance.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/18/pee-wees-big-holiday-netflix-review) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/critic-reviews/)
## Production
Reubens and Apatow had been developing the film since 2010, and Netflix announced the title, with Apatow producing, in February 2015.[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-peewees-big-holiday-netflix-judd-apatow-producing-20150224-story.html) Reubens said in a statement at the time, "Judd and I dreamt up this movie four years ago."[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-peewees-big-holiday-netflix-judd-apatow-producing-20150224-story.html) Shooting took place in March 2015 in Los Angeles.[11](https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/pee-wees-big-holiday-84213/)
**De-aging the star.** Digital de-aging was used to give Reubens a more youthful look as Pee-wee, because Reubens felt the character "doesn't work, to me, with age mixed into it"; the cost of the process had been his main worry when first discussing the film with Apatow.[7](https://www.netflixmovies.com/pee-wees-big-holiday-2016) Reubens was 63 at the time of release and had never assigned an age to the character.[12](https://time.com/4253736/the-return-of-perennial-man-child-pee-wee-herman/)
The crew included cinematographer Tim Orr, editor Jeff Buchanan, and composer [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-mothersbaugh).[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pee_wees_big_holiday) John Lee, known as a co-creator of the satirical children's-show parody *[Wonder Showzen](https://www.edgepedia.org/wonder-showzen)* and a director on *Broad City* and *Inside Amy Schumer*, made his feature film directorial debut with the movie.[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quo-Oen1wkY)
## Context in the Pee-wee series
Reubens created Pee-wee Herman in 1977 while performing with the Los Angeles improv troupe the Groundlings. The character reached a wide audience through a 1981 HBO special, the [Tim Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-burton)-directed *Pee-wee's Big Adventure* (1985), the sequel *[Big Top Pee-wee](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-top-pee-wee)* (1988), and the television series *Pee-wee's Playhouse* (1986 to 1990). The character went largely dormant after Reubens' 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult theater, then returned gradually through stage appearances, including a theatrical show in 2010.[12](https://time.com/4253736/the-return-of-perennial-man-child-pee-wee-herman/) *Big Holiday* was Reubens' first significant reprisal of the role in nearly 28 years and was widely framed as a comeback.[6](https://theweek.com/articles/616028/paul-reubens-opens-about-life-peewee-herman)
Reubens stated at SXSW that the Pee-wee projects are not directly connected: *Playhouse* has nothing to do with *Big Adventure*, which has nothing to do with *Big Top Pee-wee*, and *Big Holiday* has no direct ties to any of those.[13](https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/74716) Reviewers nonetheless compared the film with *Big Adventure*, noting that it returns to the road trip format while lacking the surreal invention Tim Burton brought to the original.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/18/pee-wees-big-holiday-netflix-review)
## Reception
The film holds an 85% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from 46 reviews, with the site's critics consensus reading, "The simple story is a little short on laughs, but there's plenty of sweet wackiness for Pee-wee Herman fans to enjoy."[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pee_wees_big_holiday) On Metacritic it scored 63, based on 11 positive, 8 mixed, and 0 negative reviews.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/critic-reviews/)
**Critical response.** The *Village Voice* called it "manically imaginative and very funny"; *The New York Times* observed that Pee-wee, like the Muppets and the Simpsons, seems not to age but here "takes things down a notch; he's less frenetic and more reactive."[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/critic-reviews/) The *Los Angeles Times* was more reserved, finding an unsure tone and "the barest thread of a story," while praising Manganiello's self-aware performance.[14](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-pee-wee-big-holiday-review-20160318-story.html) The *Guardian* judged the film nirvana for longtime fans but suggested newcomers might find Reubens' retro appeal elusive.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/18/pee-wees-big-holiday-netflix-review)
Although Netflix lists the film under Kids and Family genres with a 7+ maturity rating, some parent reviewers on Common Sense Media considered it unsuitable for children, citing sexual themes and offensive language.[15](https://www.netflix.com/na/title/80031800) • [16](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/pee-wees-big-holiday/user-reviews/adult)
## References
1. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80031800)
2. [Here Are All the Netflix Original Movies Streaming in 2016, Time](https://time.com/4194103/netflix-original-movies-streaming-2016/)
3. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quo-Oen1wkY)
4. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pee_wees_big_holiday)
5. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/critic-reviews/)
6. [Paul Reubens opens up about his life as Pee-wee Herman, The Week US](https://theweek.com/articles/616028/paul-reubens-opens-about-life-peewee-herman)
7. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/pee-wees-big-holiday-2016)
8. [Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/pee-wees-big-holiday/umc.cmc.2vw39dz4z5r12as4l00ku4oh9)
9. [Pee-wee's Big Holiday review: a fine bromance for the suited man-child, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/18/pee-wees-big-holiday-netflix-review)
10. [Netflix announces 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday,' with Judd Apatow producing, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-peewees-big-holiday-netflix-judd-apatow-producing-20150224-story.html)
11. [Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, Production Listing, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/pee-wees-big-holiday-84213/)
12. [The Return of Perennial Man-Child Pee-wee Herman, Time](https://time.com/4253736/the-return-of-perennial-man-child-pee-wee-herman/)
13. [Quint sat down to discuss the future of Pee-wee Herman with Paul Reubens at SXSW, Ain't It Cool News](https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/74716)
14. [Review: 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' takes some wrong turns, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-pee-wee-big-holiday-review-20160318-story.html)
15. [Watch Pee-wee's Big Holiday, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/na/title/80031800)
16. [Parent Reviews of Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/pee-wees-big-holiday/user-reviews/adult)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Direct-to-video and streaming series film entries*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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