Jerry Seinfeld Believes The “Movie Business is Over”

Jerry Seinfeld has recently shared his views on the current state of the film industry, offering insights during a chat with GQ Magazine. The comedian, now venturing into directing with his debut Netflix film ‘Unfrosted,’ expressed a rather blunt opinion: he believes the film business is past its prime.

Discussing his motivation for stepping into the director’s chair at this stage of his career, Seinfeld humorously remarked, “Because they wouldn’t put me in ‘Mad Men.’ I love that kind of comedy. I love office comedies. I love stupid people in suits. And it was Covid. I had nothing to do. So I got talked into it. It wasn’t my idea. Seinfeld wasn’t my idea either. I keep getting dragged into things and surrounded by the most amazing people. These movie people are unbelievable. They’re insane.”

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Reflecting on his experience in the film industry, Seinfeld noted the marked contrast between his expectations and the reality of Hollywood’s workings. “It was totally new to me. I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work. They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea.”

According to Seinfeld, the days when a movie’s release sparked widespread cultural conversations and outings to the cinema are long gone. He observed, “Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see.”

In Seinfeld’s view, the film industry has been replaced by a sense of confusion and disorientation. He remarked, “Disorientation replaced the movie business. Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?’”

‘Unfrosted,’ scheduled for release on Netflix on 3rd May, delves into the origins of the Pop-Tart, set in 1963, the year before its widespread availability. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Seinfeld himself, Hugh Grant, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Max Greenfield and James Marsden, among others.