Jerry Seinfeld believes "the movie business is over" ahead of his own film's release

Jerry Seinfeld is set to make his directorial debut with his upcoming feature, Unfrosted. The Netflix-backed project chronicles the cereal race between Kellogg's and Post as they try to create a snack that would change the face of breakfast. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, Seinfeld, who redefined television comedies with his eponymous comedy show, spoke about his career and belief that the movie industry is effectively over.

While talking about Unfrosted to GQ Magazine, the comedian said:

"These movie people are unbelievable. They’re insane...Everybody does their job 150%. It is weird. 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."

In the same interview, Jerry Seinfeld went on to elaborate on why he believes so and how the cultural influence of cinema has evolved over time, with the industry now very different from the industry that was.

Unfrosted is set for a Netflix premiere on May 3, 2024.

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"Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did"— Jerry Seinfeld on why he thinks movie business is over

The actor, comedian, and soon-to-be director of his first movie did not hold back while talking about the evolving nature of the movie business. After noting how much work culture and ethics have changed, which he judged by the amount of work the people put into the movie, Jerry Seinfeld went on to cite why he believes the movie business isn't the same anymore.

"But 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."

When asked what he thought had replaced films, Seinfeld went on to say,

“Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion. 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?'”

When talking about his previous work and stand-up, Seinfeld opined that it “is more valuable than it’s ever been.”

“I’ve done enough stuff that I have my own thing, which is more valuable than it’s ever been. Stand-up is like you’re a cabinetmaker, and everybody needs a guy who’s good with wood.…There’s trees everywhere, but to make a nice table, it’s not so easy. So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry.”

He added that audiences want to see stand-up “because it’s something you can’t fake.” Jerry Seinfeld explained,

“Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake. It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”

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Jerry Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, best known for his role in Seinfeld. Due to his influence in the comedy sector, both live and televised, Seinfeld was named the 12th greatest comedian of all time by Comedy Central.

While limited in experience in the field of movies, Jerry Seinfeld did appear in the 2007 film Bee Movie, which he also co-produced and co-wrote. The movie went on to bag a Golden Globe nomination.

Seinfeld will soon return with his directorial debut, Unfrosted. In addition to the comedian, the movie also features Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant, Amy Schumer, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, Sarah Cooper, and Bill Burr.

Unfrosted premieres on May 3, 2024, on Netflix.