We’ve come a long way with movie magic. CGI technology and filmmaking techniques have made anything on the big screen possible. However, occasionally directors decide to go the practical route, as sometimes technology doesn’t capture a moment the same way tangible effects do. This was the case in Pete Davidson’s upcoming horror movie, The Home, where director James DeMonaco decided to use Davidson’s actual eye for one of the freakest scenes in the film, and things almost got dangerous.
The SNL alum recently sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, and he talked about becoming a dad for the first time, as well as making The Home with the team that made The Purge. One of the scenes that is teased in the trailer features Davidson tied to a chair with a contraption holding his eye open, reminiscent of the famous eye scene in A Clockwork Orange.
When the actor read the script, he naturally assumed that movie magic and new tech would be used to create this moment. He said:
Obviously, I read the script and was like, 'That won't be my eye. This is the movies! It'll be a CGI eye.' If you can bring people back from the dead and put them in a movie, then that's not my eye.
He has a great point. If movies can use motion capture to make actors into aliens for Avatar and dinosaurs come to life in Jurassic Park, they should realistically be able to digitally put Davidson’s eye in a contraption just by using some green stickers and VFX post-production work.
However, DeMonaco had other plans, and instead employed three doctors to be present while they actually put Davidson’s eye in some monstrous contraption. The King of Staten Island star was understandably shocked by the idea, saying:
So I get to set, and there’s three doctors there, and they all look, you know, not – they’re a little concerned. I'm like, 'What's going on?' and my buddy James [DeMonaco], the director, goes, 'They're here for your eye.' I was like, 'What do you mean?'
Apparently, DeMonaco thought Davidson’s eyes were just too distinctive to be recreated digitally, and the shot wouldn’t be believable without using his actual eye.
The whole thing became worse when Davidson’s co-star had a hard time getting his lines right and made the situation go on longer than it should have. Eventually, one of the doctors had to step in to prevent any actual damage being done to their leading man’s vision. The actor recalled:
I heard, in the corner, one of the doctors went to the director and goes, 'Yeah, in about 30 more seconds there's gonna be some real damage.' So I take the thing off. I'm like squirting it with water and stuff. I'm like, 'What the hell just happened?' And then we’re watching it in video village and the director goes, ‘Yeah, it didn’t have to be your eye.’
Clearly, this was a case of a director being a little overzealous when it came to realism in movies. However, I do think the film benefits from Davidson telling this story, as it will likely make the scene even scarier knowing the actor’s actual safety is at risk.
This is some serious commitment from Davidson, who probably could have refused or asked for a double to be used. The 31-year-old might be new to the horror movie game, but he is seemingly all in and is ready to put himself in the hot seat for the sake of a good shot. It seems like this experience didn’t sour things either, as the comedian has expressed interest in joining The Purge franchise. I’m here for this era, and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.
You can see Pete Davidson in The Home when it hits the big screen on July 25, 2025. For more information on other exciting titles heading to the big screen this year, make sure to consult our 2025 movie schedule. Also, fans of the comedian should check out our feature on Davidson’s best movies and TV shows, to see where else you can watch the actor.
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