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Jerry Seinfeld Says 'The Movie Business Is Over,' Plugs His New Movie

By Andrew Sanford | Film | April 23, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Film | April 23, 2024 |


GettyImages-1955290537.jpg

Movie theaters almost didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The places we go for magic were shuttered at worst and were a third full at best. It was a bleak time for a business that required people to leave their homes. Since vaccines became more accessible and people stopped caring, theaters have been filling up again. Yes, a lot of theater success is IP-driven, but people are still going to movies.

That being said, it is undeniable that the business has changed. It changed with the success of streaming. Matt Damon once explained how the downfall of physical media like DVDs has made it harder to get movies made. He did so while chomping on spicy wings because the promotional business also changed. Still, is the movie business “over?” Jerry Seinfeld certainly thinks so.

In a recent interview with GQ, the comedian commented on his recent movie-making experience. “It was totally new to me. I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work,” Seinfeld said. “They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea.” That’s a bleak take from someone whose new movie, Unfrosted, hits Netflix on May 3rd.

Could Seinfeld be trying to jump in front of his film, the first he has directed, receiving a poor reception when it arrives next month? According to Jerry he just doesn’t think movies are that popular anymore. “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.”

Seinfeld thinks movies are on the downswing, but that stand-up isn’t going anywhere. “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,” the comedian said. “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. 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.”

There you have it. Movies aren’t culturally relevant anymore, says the guy who just co-wrote and directed one.