Next week sees the release of Playdate, a new buddy action-comedy in the mold of Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, and Rush Hour, which brings together Alan Ritchson (Reacher) and Kevin James (King of Queens) as an odd couple caught on the run when they end up in the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy. As part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview, we’re thrilled to bring our viewers an exclusive sneak peek at one of the best moments of the Prime Video original. The synopsis of the movie is as follows:
“When recently unemployed accountant Brian (James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Ritchson) and their sons, he expects an easy afternoon of small talk and football tossing. Instead, he’s thrust into a chaotic scramble to stay alive as they are pursued by a ruthless team of mercenaries. Brian stumbles through one ridiculous obstacle after another, his zero tactical skills a stark contrast to Jeff’s oddly prepared demeanor. Director Luke Greenfield (Let’s Be Cops, The Girl Next Door) hilariously collides suburban dad life with high-stakes thrills, transforming an ordinary afternoon into an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.”
The scene in question is a typically riotous one as it highlights Isla Fisher‘s Leslie, one of the militant minivan moms, arranging a diamond formation to box in Jeff and Brian following the report that they’d kidnapped kids — of course, they hadn’t — but it turns the movie from Midnight Run into Mad Max, and is typical of the wild humor found in the 93 minutes of action, and it’s a tone-setter for a great evening in front of the TV.
Director Luke Greenfield, best known for Let’s Be Cops and The Girl Next Door, takes charge of the movie with a script by Neil Goldman, while Playdate is produced by Greenfield alongside Jason Benoit, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Mark Fasano, and Jeffrey Greenstein, with Ritchson serving as executive producer. It also stars Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Isla Fisher, Stephen Root, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce, with Paul Walter Hauser and Hiro Kanagawa.
Turning Reacher Into a Suburban Himbo
In a conversation with Collider, Greenfield revealed that part of the film’s charm came from casting actors against type — especially Ritchson.
“People were playing what they don’t normally play. I’d known Alan for a while and wanted to do a comedy with him years ago. When we developed this script, he was the first — and only — person I sent it to. I knew how funny he is. People just know him as Reacher right now, but Alan Ritchson is one of the funniest guys out there. I wanted to put him in a completely opposite role. Honestly, I think he’s going to end up being the next Rock.”
As for Kevin James, Greenfield leaned into his everyman appeal while flipping audience expectations, adding that he asked for specific things from Isla Fisher, while taking great joy in dressing up an uncredited Paul Walter Hauser as Peter Pan. “Kevin really plays the guy we all relate to,” he said. “Everyone knows him from Paul Blart: Mall Cop and his comedies. With Isla Fisher, I told her, ‘We all know you from Wedding Crashers — now play Tyler Durden in Fight Club.’ I wanted her to be a gangster. Same with Paul Walter Hauser — I put him in a Peter Pan costume. I just wanted to turn things on their head and have these talented people do things we haven’t seen from them before.”
Greenfield’s filmography has always reflected his love of mismatched duos, and Playdate is no exception: “Midnight Run is my favorite,” he said. “Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, even smaller ’80s films like Running Scared with Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal. I love bromances and buddy comedies — The Big Lebowski, Office Space — all my favorites. I tried to channel that same spirit. I did it a bit in Let’s Be Cops and The Girl Next Door.” When asked about balancing Ritchson’s physical comedy with James’ sitcom timing, Greenfield said the answer was simple: chemistry.
“That’s the fun of it. I love mixing actors from different backgrounds — stage, TV, film. The key is, do they play off each other? Once that rhythm hits, the pace comes naturally. Alan’s a comedic genius, and I think people are going to be blown away by what he can do comedically.”
Off-camera, Greenfield says Ritchson couldn’t be more different from his macho screen persona. “He’s the most polite, sweet, soft-spoken guy,” he said. “He plays a not-so-bright character here, but he’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met. I met his parents on set — just a wonderful guy.”
For those excited about the blooper reel at the end of Playdate, Greenfield says there’s plenty more where that came from, adding that there was a slightly edgier director’s cut at one point as well, which he hopes will get to see the light of day. When asked about an extended release, Greenfield said, “I’m hoping, dude, there’s a director’s cut that’s a little edgier that, you know, I’d love to dig that out. Maybe Amazon will put it out.” He went on to say, “I ruined a ton of takes by laughing — especially during the football scene. Even better ones didn’t make it in because they ran too long. The car scene where Paul Walter Hauser asks, ‘Who’s your favorite Mormon?’ — Alan would say stuff like Machine Gun Kelly or Usher, and they’d just lose it.”
Playdate is rated PG-13, runs 93 minutes, and premieres November 12, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video. Stay tuned at Collider for more exclusive previews from the most anticipated movies and TV shows this winter!
- Release Date
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November 12, 2025
- Director
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Luke Greenfield
- Producers
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Jeff Sussman, Kevin James, Neil Goldman, Alan Ritchson, Dan Spilo, Mark Fasano, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Jeffrey Greenstein, Nathan Klingher, Jason Benoit
