Why They Could Never Make ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ Today

The 1985 movie Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, starred Paul Reubens as the Pee-wee Herman, who, in his quest to retrieve his stolen bicycle, traveled all around the USA after the police were unwilling to help him.

Although Pee-wee’s Big Adventure resonated with viewers in the ’80s because of its setting and powerful storyline, which is quite insightful and motivating, it would be nearly impossible to produce a movie like that today because of new developments in the film location.

‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ might be impossible today

Pee-wee Herman launches a full-scale search and goes on an adventure after his antagonist, Francis Buxton, steals his cherished brand new Schwinn DX Cruiser bicycle with the help of local thugs. Pee-wee is relentless in his search for his bicycle, and he offers a $10,000 reward for the bike.

Buxton becomes scared by Pee-wee’s tenacity and pays someone to take the bike away so the theft won’t be linked to him. In his quest to find his bike, Pee-wee visits a fake seer who tells him his treasured bicycle is in the basement of the Alamo in San Antonio. The zealous Pee-wee makes his way down to the mission-turned-historical site only to face the disappointment that there is no basement.

After Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was released in 1985, an article in Texas Monthly reported that curious visitors and fans of the movie visited the Alamo, asking the staff if they could view the basement despite knowing it did not exist.

However, to fans’ surprise, four years after Pee-wee’s Big Adventure aired, a basement was constructed at the Alamo. Per The San Antonio Current, another basement was built later to cater to employees and has reference library guides. This new addition to the Alamo would make Pee-wee’s Big Adventure production nearly impossible as it will affect the storyline.