Unfrosted Netflix - What We Know So Far
If you've ever been curious about the invention of the Pop-Tart, you'll be happy to learn that writer-comedian Jerry Seinfeld is currently working on a film about the origins of the famous breakfast pastry for Netflix. The upcoming movie, titled "Unfrosted," is a part of the $100 million deal that Seinfeld signed with Netflix in 2017 (via Business Insider).
Seinfeld is set to direct, produce and star in "Unfrosted," as well as having co-written the screenplay with Spike Feresten and Barry Marder. The three writers have collaborated in the past, including co-writing 2007's "Bee Movie" (along with a fourth writer, Andy Robin). Feresten also wrote on Seinfeld's ultra-popular sitcom, "Seinfeld," in the late 1990s.
The idea for "Unfrosted" stems from a popular joke of Seinfeld's from his standup acts, in which he discusses how the invention of the Pop-Tart — which happened in 1964 — changed his life for the better as a kid.
Here's what else we know about "Unfrosted," including its release date, cast and plot.
When will Unfrosted be released?
As of now, there's no release date yet for "Unfrosted." With the project having just been announced, it's safe to assume it's in a very early development stage. Variety has reported, however, that production is slated to begin next spring, meaning that viewers may not get to see "Unfrosted" until late 2022.
While we don't know how long Seinfeld has been imagining the Pop-Tart invention for the basis of a film, we do know that his popular joke about the subject was a labor of love. In a video interview with The New York Times, Seinfeld breaks down how he wrote the Pop-Tart bit. He explained, "I'd probably been working on this for two years. Two years! I mean usually I write a bit in a couple of days."
After the years-long process of writing the joke, Seinfeld brought it to his stand-up routine and has been performing it for years, with clips from as early as 2010 available to watch on YouTube. The bit is also part of Seinfeld's recent Netflix stand-up special, "23 Hours to Kill," from 2020. It's clear that Seinfeld put a lot of time and energy into this joke, making it the perfect pick to expand into a film.
Who will be in Unfrosted?
Currently, Seinfeld himself is the only confirmed cast member. As we get closer to next spring's planned production start, we'll likely be hearing more casting news and updates along the way.
It's also currently unknown who exactly Seinfeld will play in "Unfrosted." In his stand-up bit, he talks about the invention of the Pop-Tart from the perspective of him as a young kid. In the bit, he says, "I was about eight when they invented the Pop-Tart [and] the back of my head blew right off! ... I was in the supermarket aisle with my mother and I'm like, 'hold it, hold up, hold everything! What the hell is that?! Fruit-filled frosted rectangles in a box!"
If the film aligns with the joke and tells the story from the perspective of a child, then Seinfeld may be playing the child's father or another adult figure in the kid's life. It's also possible the story will be more focused on those working at the Kellogg Company at the time of the Pop-Tart's invention. If it's the latter, Seinfeld would likely be playing someone involved with its creation.
What will Unfrosted be about?
The only information we currently have about the plot of "Unfrosted" is that it centers on the invention of the Pop-Tart in the 1960s. As previously mentioned, there are several different formats and perspectives that could be utilized to tell this story — or even a combination of more than one. As for the more business-centric perspective, the story behind Kellogg's launch of the Pop-Tart is definitely an interesting one. As detailed in a Spoon University article, Kellogg's competitor, Post, actually had the idea for the Pop-Tart first. But because Post started advertising their product before it was available, competitors were given time to come up with their own version — which is exactly what Kellogg, a company already famous for their cereals, did.
Regardless of how Seinfeld chooses to tell the story of the Pop-Tart, we know it will likely be a laugh-out-loud comedy. Talking to Deadline about coming up with the idea for "Unfrosted," Seinfeld said, "Stuck at home watching endless sad faces on TV, I thought this would be a good time to make something based on pure silliness. So we took my Pop-Tart stand-up bit from my last Netflix special and exploded it into a giant, crazy comedy movie."
If the film is even half as funny as the stand-up bit — which ends with "They can't go stale because they were never fresh!" — then it'll likely be a comedic hit.