Jerry Seinfeld just unwrapped a star (and slap)-studded spoof he had planned to include in his recent directorial debut Unfrosted.
During an appearance on Wednesday’s (May 8) episode of Dana Carvey and David Spade‘s Fly on the Wall podcast, Seinfeld teased that he wanted to riff off of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars in his new Pop Tart picture, per Entertainment Weekly.
“The other thing I wanted to do, that I almost did, was Chris Rock was gonna be the emcee of the Bowl and Spoon Awards,” he shared. “We shot that right after the Will Smith slap, and I was gonna have somebody come up on the stage and have Chris punch ’em out as they got there.”
However, Seinfeld said Rock “wasn’t up to perform,” and as those who have seen the new film, the role of the host of the Kelloggs-sponsored awards ceremony went to Cedric the Entertainer.
“[Rock] was still a little shook from that event,” he explained. “But that was what the scene was going to be. But Cedric saved the day. I love Cedric.”
After Seinfeld asked the Saturday Night Live alums for their take on whether or not the bit would have been funny, Carvey replied, “Without the Will Smith thing, I think it’s funny.”
“It’s just sort of, there’s still kind of a residual darkness around that moment,” he continued.
Seinfeld added, “Yeah, isn’t that what we’re attracted to more than anything? Residual darkness?”
Eventually, Seinfeld noted, “I don’t know if it would have worked. It was an idea.”
The film still featured a slew of celebs in wild comedic bits, including a Mad Men reunion with series stars Jon Hamm and John Slattery reprising their original roles, and Hugh Grant as Thurl Ravenscroft — as Tony the Tiger — storming the Kellogg’s building.
Nonetheless, Seinfeld made headlines last month after claiming that “the movie business is over,” just ahead of the release of his film.
“Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives,” he told GQ. “When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see.”
Unfrosted is streaming on Netflix.
