Playdate (film)

Last updated

Playdate
Playdate (film) poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Luke Greenfield
Written by Neil Goldman
Produced by
  • Luke Greenfield
  • Jason Benoit
  • Mark Fasano
  • Jeffrey Greenstein
  • Sean O'Reilly
Starring
CinematographyDarran Tiernan
Edited byJoe Mitacek
Music by
Production
companies
  • WideAwake Pictures
  • Nickel City Pictures
  • A Higher Standard
Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios (via Prime Video)
Release date
  • November 12, 2025 (2025-11-12)
Running time
94 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Playdate is a 2025 American buddy action comedy film directed by Luke Greenfield and written by Neil Goldman. It stars Kevin James and Alan Ritchson alongside Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce, Hiro Kanagawa, Stephen Root, and Isla Fisher. The film follows Brian (James), a recently unemployed accountant and father who sets up a playdate with stay-at-home dad Jeff (Ritchson), with the two then being targeted by mercenaries along with their sons.

Contents

The film was released on Amazon Prime Video on November 12, 2025, where it became the number 1 film in the US that week. [2]

Plot

Recently laid-off accountant Brian Jennings (Kevin James) struggles to adjust to staying home with his stepson Lucas (Benjamin Pajak) while his wife Emily (Sarah Chalke) takes on extra shifts at the hospital. Hoping to help Lucas make new friends, Brian agrees to a weekend playdate with another father, Jeff Eamon (Alan Ritchson), a confident stay-at-home dad whose son CJ (Banks Pierce) quickly bonds with Lucas.

Cast

Paul Walter Hauser makes an uncredited cameo as Galifinakish

Production

In February 2024, it was announced that an action-comedy film directed by Luke Greenfield and written by Neil Goldman was in development, with Kevin James and Alan Ritchson cast in the lead roles. [3] In April, Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, Isla Fisher, Benjamin Pajak, and Banks Pierce joined the cast. [4] [5]

Filming

Principal photography began on March 11, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada, and wrapped on April 23. [4] [6]

Release

Playdate was released on Amazon Prime Video on November 12, 2025. [7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 18% of 22 critics' reviews are positive. [8] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 20 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [9] According to M.N. Miller of FandomWire, "Ritchson steals every scene with absurd energy and surprising warmth, like a big golden retriever trapped in a comic book hero’s body. Sweet, impetuous, and goofy, he’s incredibly likable." [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Playdate (12)". British Board of Film Classification . November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  2. ↑ https://www.cbr.com/playdate-prime-video-streaming-success-november-2025/
  3. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (February 21, 2024). "Alan Ritchson & Kevin James To Lead Action-Comedy 'Playdate', Filming To Begin March 11 In Canada". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Wiseman, Andreas (April 4, 2024). "Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root & Isla Fisher Among Cast To Join Action-Comedy 'Playdate' With Kevin James & Alan Ritchson; Filming Underway". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Banks Pierce CV" (PDF). Bankspierce.com. May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ @alanritchson; (April 18, 2024). "It's chaos out here on the set of Playdate while @catritchson is on hamster duty. How long do those little buggers live? Asking for a friend. Anywho… hope you enjoy @ungentlemanlywarfare in theaters this weekend! It's a lot of fun and remembers some true giants of our past who stood up at a crucial time in humanities history - an important moment to remember and some stellar work from @guyritchie and team" – via Instagram.
  7. ↑ Wang, Jessica (October 1, 2025). "Kevin James and Alan Ritchson are suburban dads hunted by mercenaries in Playdate first look (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Playdate". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Playdate Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  10. ↑ https://fandomwire.com/playdate-review-and-synopsis/
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