What’s the deal with Unfrosted? A fictionalized account of the birth of Pop-Tarts, Netflix’s new movie explores the 1960s space race-style battle of cereal giants Kellogg’s and Post as they compete for breakfast domination. When the idea of a breakfast pastry enters the mix, the companies go head-to-head to bring a sugar-filled treat to the shelves, unlike anything America has seen before.
The film stars Jerry Seinfeld as Bob Cabana, Jim Gaffigan as Edsel Kellogg III, Melissa McCarthy as Donna Stankowski, Amy Schumer as Marjorie Post and Max Greenfield as Rick Ludwin.
Netflix’s Unfrosted is the culmination of Seinfeld’s longtime obsession with the foil-wrapped breakfast snack. Since his childhood in the 1960s, the comedian has been fascinated with Kellogg’s toaster treat. Over the years, he publicly expressed his interest in Pop-Tarts multiple times: In 2010, he performed a bit about it on The Late Show with David Letterman. Two years later, he gave the New York Times a peek at his process of bringing the Pop-Tart joke to life, and the pastry popped up again in his 2020 Netflix special, 23 Hours to Kill.
So, you’re hunting for a fresh new comedy to sink your teeth into? Look no further. Unfrosted is the movie you should be streaming this weekend.
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It’s inspired by a true story, kinda
Jim Gaffigan, Fred Armisen, Jerry Seinfeld and Melissa McCarthy star in Unfrosted on Netflix.
Unfrosted is inspired by, but not a factual account of, how the Pop-Tart was invented. You can find a condensed history on the Pop-Tarts website, where you’ll learn how the brand shifted from “fruit scones” to the first four original unfrosted flavors. In the Netflix flick, Seinfeld and team threw caution to the wind and took huge creative swings in bringing this story to life.
“This really did happen in Battle Creek, Mich., where Kellogg’s and Post were located, and they did compete to come up with this product, but the rest of our story is complete lunacy,” Seinfeld said in the press release.
Fans of Seinfeld are certainly aware of his stand-up comedy work, his tenure as co-creator of the iconic sitcom that shares his last name and his hosting duties on the Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Yet, throughout his 30-plus years in entertainment, the comedian hasn’t starred in a live-action movie — and he’s never helmed a project as a director.
With Unfrosted, he checked off both boxes.
“Directing a feature was fun,” Seinfeld said. “I was very fortunate to have great people who helped me so much. It was really just fun. Everybody liked that we were making something pretty stupid. So, there wasn’t a lot of tension.”
Unfrosted has a stacked cast of comedy talent
In addition to Seinfeld, Schumer, Gaffigan, Greenfield and McCarthy, Hugh Grant plays Thurl Ravenscroft (playing cereal mascot Tony the Tiger), with Christian Slater as sinister milk man Mike Diamond. Seriously, this is one impressive slate of comedic talent:
- Cedric the Entertainer plays Stu Smiley
- Bill Burr is John F. Kennedy
- Dean Norris is Nikita Khrushchev
- Jack McBrayer plays Steve Schwinn
- Kyle Mooney, Mikey Day and Drew Tarver are Snap, Crackle and Pop
- Bobby Moynihan is Chef Boyardee
- James Marsden is fitness guru Jack Lalanne
- Fred Armisen is Mike Puntz
- Kyle Dunnigan plays Walter Cronkite and Johnny Carson
- Thomas Lennon is Harold von Braunhut
- Andy Daly is Isaiah Lamb
- Tony Hale is Eddie Mink
It’s a wacky, nostalgic and fun watch
Jerry Seinfeld, Adrian Martinez, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan and James Marsden star in Unfrosted on Netflix.
Unfrosted isn’t dark, dramatic or cringey — it’s the opposite of all those things. A sturdy, whimsical thematic thread connects the movie, presenting every scene with a bright, colorful, saccharine-sweetened energy. Unfrosted is reminiscent of comedy classics like Airplane and Blazing Saddles. Notably, Mel Brooks’s wacky Western was one of Seinfeld’s biggest inspirations.
“I happened to be watching Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles the other day, and so much of that movie is they tell you a real story, but there are a lot of things in it that are just completely insane,” the comedian explained. “And I thought, ‘Oh, we were kind of in the same world.’ And I was very excited because Blazing Saddles is one of my favorite movies.”
Unfrosted is a love letter to Pop-Tarts, a nostalgic laugh-fest, a silly celebration of 1960s America. It’s not here to deliver a political message or a thought-provoking moral. The only agenda on its mind is to get you laughing. Even Pop-Tarts is in on the joke. With Seinfeld writing, directing and starring in the movie, what more could you possibly want?
Unfrosted is now streaming on Netflix.
