Alan Ritchson and Kevin James Form the Unlikeliest Dream Team in the Playdate Trailer
Kevin James aims for low-key dad time, but Alan Ritchson’s larger-than-life neighbor turns Playdate into a hilariously high-stakes misadventure for father and son.
Prime Video just dropped the trailer for Playdate, an action comedy where Kevin James makes a new dad friend and immediately regrets it in the most explosive way possible. Alan Ritchson plays the kind of stay-at-home parent who knows way too much about tactical maneuvering. Yes, it is exactly that kind of movie, and I am not mad about it.
The setup
Kevin James is Brian, a recently unemployed accountant doing the wholesome suburban thing: playground bonding time with his son and a friendly playdate with another dad, Jeff (Alan Ritchson), and Jeff's kid. That should mean small talk and a football toss. Instead, a crew of mercenaries shows up, and Brian finds himself tumbling through one ridiculous, dangerous situation after another. The gag is simple and effective: Brian has zero combat skills, while Jeff is weirdly prepared for all of this, like he packed snacks and contingency plans. Suburban dad life smashes into full-blown action thriller, complete with minivan chaos and professional hitmen.
Who is in it
- Kevin James as Brian
- Alan Ritchson as Jeff
- Benjamin Pajak as Lucas
- Banks Pierce as CJ
- Sarah Chalke
- Alan Tudyk
- Hiro Kanagawa
- Stephen Root
- Isla Fisher
Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door, Let's Be Cops) directs from a script by Neil Goldman. The film is produced by Greenfield, Jason Benoit, Sean Patrick O'Reilly, Mark Fasano, and Jeffrey Greenstein. Executive producers include Alan Ritchson, Dan Spilo, Neil Goldman, Michelle Meyers, Alexis Garcia, Matthew Goldberg, Lee Broda, and Jamal Sannon.
When and where to watch
Playdate starts streaming on Prime Video on November 12.
A quick Ritchson side quest
Ritchson also stars in Motor City, a dialogue-free revenge movie that has been making the festival rounds. Our reviewer Chris Bumbray caught it and came away impressed. His take:
"We have all seen revenge movies about wrongly accused badasses, but the execution is what makes this truly unique, with it having been invited to both TIFF and the lofty Venice International Film Festival. [...] While the idea of a dialogue-free action movie might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I found myself riveted by the craft demonstrated by Ponciroli. Given Ritchson's rising fame, this could be a movie people talk about for years."
Back to Playdate: the hook is very 2024 — a PTA-friendly dad who operates like a one-man strike team while Kevin James does maximum 'regular guy in over his head.' If the trailer is any indication, expect a steady run of gags built on that contrast, a lot of smashed glass, and at least one minivan that did not sign up for this.