There’s something about product origin movies that grab the attention of filmmakers enough to make projects like Unfrosted or Flamin’ Hot. While it’s really intriguing to know the ins and outs of famous enterprises, including the controversies and corruption, it’s also becoming a trend in the film industry that even the most absurd ones get a green light.
Who would ever think of making a movie about the delectable Pop-Tarts, or, more importantly, who would watch a film about a popular snack? It’s only a matter of time before fans would know the whole story of Jerry Seinfeld’s movie and his thing with Pop-Tarts.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart Obsession Gets Out Of Hand
The idea of Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story came from a joke that Jerry Seinfeld started using from years ago. He would muse about the wonder and magic of Pop-Tarts as breakfast. From this no-brainer realization, he came up with the idea of helming his own movie about his favorite snack.
Of course, he will not be eating Pop-Tarts for an hour in front of the camera. The comedy feature film will focus on the origins of Kellogg’s sugary treat. Seinfeld wrote the script alongside Spike Feresten and Barry Marder. In a comedy show last year, Seinfeld shared via Yahoo:
“I loved doing [Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story] because I love the Pop-Tart. When I was a kid and the Pop-Tart came out, the back of my head blew right off.”
The cast also features Melissa McCarthy and Jim Gaffigan. Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story will arrive on Netflix this May 3, 2024.
Unfrosted And Other Product Origin Films Are Now Dominating Hollywood’s Cinema
Before Unfrosted, there was Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin’ Hot, a film that chronicled the story of Richard Montañez, the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It has a rather interesting narrative as the movie was based on Montañez’s memoir, A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive.
It was the definitive rags-to-riches story where the author recounted his ascend to the zenith of the Frito-Lay company. The biopic received mixed reactions from critics and served more or less just a feel-good story that one would only watch to kill boredom.
Meanwhile, Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring Taron Egerton was a game-changer. The Apple TV+’s Cold War-era thriller explored the real story behind the invention of the classic strategy game where a man risked his life for a puzzle amusement in the 1980s.
Tetris also tackled the harrowing stories of an underdog who braved the odds and navigated the political world in order to make his creation a global phenomenon. The game’s concept looked very simple – but the backstory of it was full of horrors and hardships.
Ben Affleck’s Air, on the other hand, is a sports drama movie that narrates the rise of Nike, Inc. and its partnership with basketball superstar Michael Jordan that revolutionized the world of sports. Also starring Matt Damon, the film received a staggering 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Product origin films have been dominating the cinema in the past couple of years, and it’s understandable that directors and writers want to follow the trend. Matt Johnson, director of BlackBerry movie, told the Los Angeles Times:
“The cynical answer is that the [intellectual property] chain of title on all these products is a lot easier to pitch to money people, and because everything is about IP — you’re either basing a movie on an article or a book or something.”
He added that the serious answer to this is that “modern successes are products,” and people love to know how these brands they own and use on a daily basis came to life.
