Topic summary
Big Top Pee-wee
Big Top Pee-wee is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser. A standalone sequel to Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the film stars Paul Reubens reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman, with Susan Tyrrell, Kris Kristofferson, Penelope Ann Miller and Valeria Golino in supporting roles. The original music score is composed by Danny Elfman, who could not re-use themes from his Pee-wee's Big Adventure score, due to contractual restrictions.
The film was released on July 22, 1988, and grossed $15 million against a $20 million budget. It received negative reviews, with critics calling it inferior to the previous film. Another standalone sequel, Pee-wee's Big Holiday, was released in 2016.