The newly released Playdate trailer reveals that Alan Ritchson is swapping his Reacher action persona for suburban dad duties, albeit with a violent twist. Written by Neil Goldman and directed by Luke Greenfield, the film is an action comedy that is scheduled to release on Amazon Prime Video on November 12, 2025.
Paired with Kevin James, the trailer of the film features Ritchson and James as two initially simple stay-at-home dads who are thrust into some mercenary-fuelled action-filled adventure. Throughout the trailer, we see James appearing grim while the Reacher star shows off some absurd comedic charm, a sharp contrast to the two actors’ previous roles.
Playtime just got real. Stream Playdate on November 12. pic.twitter.com/tIUkHPvMcW
Filled with some crazy action sequences and high-speed car chases, the trailer has already got friends excited. Leaning both into absurd comedy and full-blown action, the film promises to be a chaotic ride.
What Is Alan Ritchson and Kevin James’
Playdate About?
At its core, Playdate is an action comedy about two fathers whose casual meet-up turns into a violent fight for survival. According to the film’s official synopsis and Amazon press sources:
Recently unemployed accountant Brian (Kevin James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Alan 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.
Apart from Ritchson and James in lead roles, the film also stars Sarah Chalke as Emily, Alan Tudyk as Simon Maddox, Stephen Root as Gordon, Isla Fisher as Leslie, Benjamin Pajak as Lucas, and Banks Pierce as CJ.
Alan Ritchson On Why He Said Yes to Playdate
Known for portraying rugged action characters (especially in Reacher), Alan Ritchson embraces a different kind of chaos in Playdate. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, it was apparently the script’s surprising amount of heart that made him say yes.
Moreover, he liked the wild contrast between suburban dad life and this total explosion of chaos and action.
One minute you’re tossing a football, the next you’re dodging bad guys in a minivan. That absurd mashup of everyday parenting and full-blown action just spoke to me.
Kevin James also liked the same, especially praising the film’s real-life relatability. The two stars had an incredible time shooting the film, reportedly balancing each other really well.
He played up the fish-out-of-water thing brilliantly, and I got to lean into this borderline-unhinged dad mode.
Meanwhile, James really enjoyed filming alongside the Reacher star. While he did expect him to be the ‘action element,’ he was taken aback by how funny his co-star was.
Releasing in November, the film has already got us excited with its unusual, absurd, and action-packed elements. What do you think about the upcoming film?
Playdate will be available to stream on Wednesday, November 12, on Prime Video.
