We finally have photographic proof of Jerry Seinfeld's bizarre Pop-Tart movie

Was Jerry Seinfeld’s semi-obsessive desire to make a movie about the creation of the Pop-Tart—a project Seinfeld has been talking about regularly for years at this point, with its origins dating back to a long-toiled-over joke in his act—simply an idea waiting patiently for its time? After all, the Netflix-produced Unfrosted apparently finished filming way back in 2022, with no word as to why it hadn’t yet been released, almost two years later. Was it simply waiting until the era of Air and Flamin’ Hot was in full swing, so that this strangest of the Product Movies might have a well-traveled place to land? Regardless, we now have genuine proof that the movie—Seinfeld’s directorial debut, as it happens, and his first cinematic project since a weary nation lost its heart to Bee Movie lo these 17 years ago—actually exists outside its creator’s head, as Netflix released a few seconds of footage from the movie as part of its much bigger film slate announcements earlier today.

And while there’s some more exciting footage out there that seems to depict an explosion—and the equally horrifying conflagration of Jerry Seinfeld’s face contorting itself in an effort to act—we found our eyes drawn, again and again, to the still photo that was released alongside the footage. The question that eats at us, really, is one of tone: Sure, we can see Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, and Fred Armisen—famous jokesters all—yukking it up in period costumes, suggesting a certain spirit of the comedic infusing the piece. But the question remains: Is Seinfeld attempting to tell a real story about the history of breakfast, or just perpetrating some of his signature tomfoolery on an unsuspecting audience?

At first, we were reassured: A quick check of the historical record confirms that the boxes shown in this picture line up with the ones Kellogg’s actually used when the Pop-Tart arrived on store shelves in 1964, becoming an instant sugary sensation in the process. But look closer, dear reader: The printing of the name is reversed, taking the normal, even stolid, word “Pop-Tart,” and transforming it into the far sillier “Trat-Pop.” Even worse, Armisen’s character is looking at a rubber stamp in front of him with confusion and disgust, as though he’s somehow at fault for this mix-em-up! We regret to inform you, reader, that we detect here the presence of goofs. Jerry Seinfeld has made a comedy movie about Pop-Tarts, he has convinced many of his very famous friends to be in it with him, and it will be in your homes on May 3. Please prepare yourselves, and your souls, accordingly.