I was on board just hearing that Kevin James and Alan Ritchson were working together. However, that was further solidified when I found out that their project on the 2025 movie schedule was going to be “an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.” That’s right, Playdate is going to be a wild action comedy about these two dads and their kids having one crazy afternoon, and between the synopsis and these first look photos, I’m so here for it.
Playdate, which is being released by Amazon MGM Studios and will be available to stream with a Prime Video subscription on November 12, will pair Kevin James with Alan Ritchson and their on-screen sons for more than just a playdate.
According to the film’s synopsis, James will play Brian, an unemployed accountant, who decides to have a playdate with Ritchson’s Jeff, a “charismatic stay-at-home dad.” However, their afternoon together with their sons quickly turns into a “chaotic scramble to stay alive as they are pursued by a ruthless team of mercenaries.”
The synopsis also notes that Brian is a fish out of water in this situation, while Jeff has an “oddly prepared demeanor.” Plus, considering Alan Ritchson is filming Season 4 of Reacher at the time of this writing and is well-known for his committed and intense action sequences (like the Paulie vs. Reacher fight in Season 3 of the great Prime Video show), I assume he’ll bring that kind of expertise and experience to Playdate. That juxtaposed with James' comedic style sounds like gold.
Truly, it’s this unexpected pairing that has me thrilled about this movie. While I certainly didn’t have an Alan Ritchson and Kevin James collaboration on my bingo card, that’s exactly what makes Playdate a film that I’ll be turning on the day it comes out.
Listen, I love a great action movie, and I adore a good comedy, so I especially am here for an action comedy. There’s no question that Ritchson is a top-tier action star right now, and James is a comedy legend, so pairing them together feels like a great idea.
That, mixed with this fun concept, has me very excited! Plus, this movie is directed by Luke Greenfield, who made Let’s Be Cops and The Girl Next Door, with his most recent credit being 2020’s Half Brothers. It was also written by Neil Goldman, who is a frequent collaborator with Bill Lawrence and has writing credits on shows like Shrinking and Scrubs, among many other series.
The cast, alongside Ritchson and James, will also feature Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce, Hiro Kanagawa, Stephen Root and Isla Fisher. So, we have a fun ensemble in Playdate as well.
All-in-all, Playdate is the movie I never saw coming, but now it’s one I can’t wait to see. So, you best believe I’ll be tuning in to watch Alan Ritchson and Kevin James on this playdate when the film premieres on November 12.
