Kevin James Killed Movie Theaters

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 4 seconds ago

People have been talking about the death of the movie theater for over a decade now, and while they’re still standing in 2025, it’s becoming undeniable that the theater-going experience isn’t what it once was. Blockbuster films making millions, or even billions of dollars, are churned out regularly, but they aren’t enough to keep the industry afloat.

The final canary in the coal mine for movie theaters is that Kevin James’ latest movie, Playdate, went directly to streaming, because nothing sums up a mediocre mid-tier film quite like the phrase “starring Kevin James.” 

Kevin James: Movie Star

Calling Kevin James a mediocre star sounds more insulting than it really is. After his breakout hit sitcom, The King of Queens, went off the air, James hit paydirt alongside Adam Sandler, and even his solo starring films, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Here Comes the Boom, and Zookeeper, all turned a profit.

Kevin James had a better box office record than Jared Leto or Sydney Sweeney. Which is why Playdate skipping theaters is a sign of the end. Only ten years ago, this should have been a Game Night or Tag style hit, a modest success to keep theater crowds spending in between blockbuster releases; instead, it debuted as the number one movie on Amazon Prime Video. 

Playdate has all the ingredients to be a solid success by pairing James with Alan Ritchson as two mismatched dads who cross paths and take their kids on a day out. That also makes them the target of criminals, led by a criminally underutilized Alan Tudyk, providing enough of a bare bones plot to justify the goofy action scenes. Get used to James trying to run people over with a Honda Odyssey while Ritchson gives his most unhinged performance since Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State.

The only memorable part of Playdate is the ending, which shockingly turns into a kid-friendly version of The Kingsman’s exploding heads montage. It’s clear from the start that the film was heavily retooled with the constant use of ADR, the running gag of the kids watching R-rated movies, and everything about Stephen Root’s character pointing to an original R-rating. Instead, there are plots that dead-end, characters that amount to nothing, and Sarah Chalke and Isla Fisher are sidelined with plot hooks that go nowhere. 

Only 20 years ago, theaters were filled with undercooked action comedies, most of which ultimately turned a profit. Today, we might get one or two a year. Meanwhile, Playdate is Kevin James’ second one of the year, following his turn as a mob hitman protecting his family in Guns Up. 

Movie Theaters Are A Dying Business

Before the inevitable success of Wicked For Good later this month, November 2025 was on pace to be the single worst November at the box office since 1991, when The Addams Family was the top-grossing film of the month. Fewer movies are coming to theaters every year, and more movies are hitting streaming every week. When Adam Sandler and Kevin James are sticking to streaming, who’s left to keep theaters going in between low-budget horror releases and mega-million blockbuster spectacles? 

Sci-fi and anime are the answer at the moment, with Predator: Badlands and Demon Slayer: The Infinity Castle both setting records during an otherwise down year, but even those have limited mass market appeal. Kevin James, for all his faults as a performer, is a master of being an unoffensive star who’s just funny enough to get kids and their parents into theaters, and more importantly, he’s exactly the type of middle-of-the-road star that has to be cranking out films for theaters to stay full year-round. 

Playdate is a dull, half-baked movie that sticks out thanks to the chemistry of the two leads and Ritchson playing a living cartoon character. It’s a mindless way to spend 90 minutes, and a good film to get everyone to agree on for a family movie night. When movie theaters continue to disappear across the country over the next five years, you’re going to sound crazy for saying that Kevin James’ pivot to streaming was the moment that killed an industry, but like the mythical prophetess Cassandra, you’ll be right. 

Playdate is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.