Pete Davidson is the quintessential funnyman, but he also has his dark side.
The comedian and "Saturday Night Live" alum, who's set to play real-life mobster Thomas Pitera in the upcoming film "Tommy Karate,"
unveiled his transformation in a new photo released by director Justin Chon.
The crime thriller, based on the true crime biography "The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath," will tell the gruesome life story of Pitera, an incarcerated gangster from the Bonanno crime family of New York City. Pitera, who is suspected of committing more than 60 murders, earned the nickname "Tommy Karate" for his martial arts-inspired style of fighting.
The cast photo, taken in black and white, offers a solemn profile shot of Davidson as he looks off into the distance. The comedian, known for sporting a buzz cut look in recent years, can be seen with a notably longer coif. Davidson, 32, also appeared to be wearing colored contacts for his portrayal of Pitera.
"Petey [is] all grown up now," Chon wrote in the July 23 post. "Was a long journey to get here but excited for everyone to see how talented he is. Thanks for letting me take the wheel. Love you brother!!!"
"Tommy Karate," which was cowritten by Chon and Davidson, will also star Camila Mendes, Paul Walter Hauser, Simon Rex, Louis Cancelmi and Elaija Chekhov, according to the film's IMDb page. The movie is currently in pre-production and does not yet have an official release date.
Davidson, known for his sketch comedy prowess on "SNL" and star turns in the feature films "The King of Staten Island" and "The Pickup," shared his excitement for his latest role in a statement to Deadline in March.
"'Tommy Karate' is the greatest mob story never told," Davidson told the outlet. "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."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pete Davidson transforms into mobster Tommy Karate for dark new role
