Unsurprisingly, the movie biz is alive and well in California, and thanks to a bill signed last summer, the state is starting to lock-in more big-budget productions. The bill doubled the amount of tax credits available to the TV and film industry from $330 million to $660 million. What may be slightly more confounding is that one of the biggest movies chosen to participate in this tax incentive program is a multimillion-dollar movie about Pop-Tarts.
What’s the deal with the Pop-Tarts movie?
Jerry Seinfeld has long been telling a joke in his stand-up inspired by Pop-Tarts—back in 2012 he broke down the structure of the bit for The New York Times. It’s a joke that’s been so successful for him throughout the years that it made it into his 2020 Netflix special 23 Hours to Kill. In June 2021, Netflix greenlit production on a movie based on the Pop-Tarts joke.
Seinfeld is directing, producing, writing, and starring in Unfrosted, a movie which he told Deadline was an idea “based on pure silliness” that transformed the bit into a “giant, crazy comedy movie.” A giant, crazy comedy movie implies that it might not be the most faithful of biopics about the creator of Pop-Tarts, if that’s even what this movie is supposed to be about. There’s little about the actual plot out there, just that it’s about the creation of the Pop-Tart and based on the comedian’s bit, which centers on how a young Jerry’s mind was blown at the idea of a rectangular, sugary breakfast treat.
As for what else to expect from the film, which has no release date as of yet, just know that Seinfeld is writing the script with Spike Feresten and Barry Marder, his co-writers on Bee Movie. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions from there.
How many more movies about snack brands are on the horizon?
The news about Unfrosted’s filming location and tax credits comes just a month after an update on another food-inspired movie coming out of the ole vending machine. The Eva Longoria–directed biopic Flamin’ Hot is nigh, even after revelations that the story it’s based on likely isn’t entirely true. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Longoria confirmed that the film, about the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, is currently in post-production and is “not what you expect.” This may be true, considering I have zero expectations for a cinematic exploration of spicy Cheetos.
At this rate, who knows what we’ll see in Hollywood next? A gritty drama about Little Debbie’s struggles? A blockbuster epic starring the Kool-Aid Man as a Marvel-esque superhero? A romance about the peanut butter/chocolate meet-cute that created Reese’s Cups? Netflix, if you’re reading this, let’s talk.