Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Unfrosted.
Cranking up the sex appeal in a movie about rivaling breakfast cereal companies, you say? Indeed. In this interview with co-writer and directorJerry SeinfeldandJim Gaffigan, co-star of Netflix’s upcoming comedy,Unfrosted, the Emmy Award-winners share with Collider’sSteve Weintraubexactly how and why those unexpected cameos weren’t just a surprise in the cereal box, but actually “tonally fit perfectly for this absurd world.”
It’s 1963, and the Breakfast Race between Kellogg’s and Post is about to launch a campaign for the best shelf-stable breakfast item the world has ever seen. To tell his feature directorial debut, Seinfeld enlisted an ensemble of comedians to fill out his “silly world,” portraying real-life and not-so-real-life figures likeJohn F. Kennedy(Bill Burr), Edsel Kellogg III (Gaffigan),Marjorie Post(Amy Schumer),Thurl Ravenscroft(Hugh Grant), better known as the voice of Tony the Tiger, and Donna Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy) in a re-imagining ofthe invention of the Pop-Tart.
Check out the full interview in the video above or the transcript below to find out how they negotiated thoseMad Mencameos, effectually upping the sexual appeal of a balanced breakfast, and how it fit the tone of the movie perfectly. Seinfeld and Gaffigan also share their recipes for the perfect cereal and discuss the nature of remakes and theSpinal Tapsequel.
Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story
Michigan 1963, business rivals Kellogg’s and Post compete to create a cake that could change breakfast forever.
A ‘Seinfeld’ Remake Isn’t Likely to Happen – Not if Jerry Seinfeld Has Anything to Say
“People do not seem shy about playing with fire in this business.”
COLLIDER: I really want to say a sincere thank you to both of you for making me laugh again and again. I just really appreciate it.
JIM GAFFIGAN: Well, thank you.
JERRY SEINFELD: Thank you very much. You know they’re making a newSpinal Tap. Are you aware?
Sir, I am very aware. I’m over the moon actually, and I just pray they don’t fuck it up.
SEINFELD: It’s risky, right? It’s a risky venture. That’s a classic movie.
GAFFIGAN: I probably read about it on Collider, right?
SEINFELD: Right, yeah. What is colliding on Collider?
The best way to say it is it’s where cinephiles and fandom meet.
SEINFELD: That sounds good.
But yeah, I agree with you.Spinal Tapis a masterpiece. It’s an 11 out of 10, and they’re playing with fire. But if they do it, great.
SEINFELD: People do not seem shy about playing with fire in this business. When you think of some of the remake attempts of all-time classics. You’renevergonna get close to what happened the last time.
GAFFIGAN: Well, human beings have a tendency to rationalize, right? It’s like, you stopped the TV show — many people couldrationalize, “Well, what about…?” “Well, I don’t think we should do it, but everyone else thinks we should do it.” You can rationalize anything.
SEINFELD: Yeah, and let’s also make the point that a remake of something people have heard of is an easier sale to a studio. It’s an easy sell, because that worked once. Maybe it’ll work again. And they’re dumb, so they say yes.
GAFFIGAN: And then there are some remakes that are okay.
SEINFELD: Really?
GAFFIGAN: Well, they’re more accepted, likeA Star is Born. They’re fine doing that over. I mean, don’t they do a Spider-Man every six months?
[Laughs] Not every six months, but they do make a lot.
SEINFELD: We’re taking you off-subject. I’m sorry. It was your shirt. Your shirt distracted me.
This happens to me in a lot of interviews.
‘Unfrosted’ – The War of the Breakfast Cereals
Jerry, you are a cereal connoisseur. If you could only have one or two cereals for the rest of your life, what are the one or two? This also applies for you, Jim.
SEINFELD: Well, it’s really not that hard. I don’t know why I’m rubbing my forehead. It’s quite easy. Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Raisin Bran Crunch. Those would be my desert island cereals. Honorable mention: Life Cinnamon.
GAFFIGAN: Oh, wow. I would go Peanut Butter Captain Crunch.
SEINFELD: Wow.
GAFFIGAN: I would also go Cornflakes. Just plain Cornflakes.
SEINFELD: Rice Krispies? Special K?
GAFFIGAN: Maybe Rice Krispies.
SEINFELD: Rice Krispies is pretty great — if you know how to make it.
GAFFIGAN: [Laughs] “If you know how to make it…”
SEINFELD: Really. With Rice Krispies you wanna let the top kind of get crispy, and then you have three different levels: in the middle it’s a little soggy and the bottom is mushy.
GAFFIGAN: It is interesting, when my kids eat cereal, sometimes they’ll be reading something and there’ll be a bowl of cereal, and I’m like, “You gotta eat thatnow. What are you doing? you’re able to’t just let it sit there!”
SEINFELD: Oh my god, this movie is gonna make people eat a lot of cereal.
GAFFIGAN: It is.
It really is.
So listen, there are so many things to talk about, but I have to bring up theMad Mencameo because I was floored by it. I didn’t see it coming. How difficult was it to get that cameo in the movie, and talk about getting [Jon Hamm and John Slattery].
SEINFELD: It took a little doing, but I happen to be friends with both Johns. There were certain business affairs, navigations that took place, and then there was just a certain jump off the cliff. “Let’s just do it, and if they sue us they sue us.”
GAFFIGAN: What I thought was so interesting about that scene was how the Johns’ characters tonally fit perfectly for this absurd world. Do you know what I mean? So, these Matthew Weiner-crafted characters fit in this kind of screwball comedy.
SEINFELD: It’s a silly world. Yeah, it’s true. It didn’t seem impossible, and in fact, it made perfect sense. I got a couple of Madison Avenue guys coming in — they never miss. And they came in with that attitude that they had on the show, that, “If you don’t like our idea, there’s something wrong withyou.”
GAFFIGAN: Yes, and just the cranked up sex appeal thing. I remember Edsel [Kellogg III’s] like, “You know we’re a kid cereal company?” [Laughs]
