The Big Picture
- Actor Jake Johnson makes his directorial debut in the comedy-thriller Self Reliance, where people are hunted for entertainment.
- Johnson plays a man who joins a dark web TV series to win $1 million if he can survive a month without being killed by hunters.
- With Anna Kendrick's character, Maddy, they must figure out how to survive and execute their plan to win the money.
The first trailer for Self Reliancehas been released, featuring Jake Johnson playing a very dangerous game in his directorial debut. The actor famous for starring as Nick Miller in New Girl is standing both in front of and behind the camera for the upcoming comedy-thriller which shows people being hunted for entertainment. Ahead of its debut on Hulu, the trailer does a very good job of introducing the premise to audiences, before the fight for survival begins. No one will be safe from the hunt once the game starts, but the contestants must follow the rules if they want to win the prize.
In Self Reliance, Johnson plays Tommy Walcott, a man who led a relatively quiet life, until he was approached by Andy Samberg (played by himself) in the middle of the street. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor offers Walcott the opportunity of a lifetime by joining a dark web television series, where he'll be awarded $1 million if he can survive a month without being killed by hunters. The only condition for the game is that the hunters will attack only when he's alone, putting the protagonist in a very complicated situation. Fortunately, he won't be alone for the ride.
Maddy (Anna Kendrick) is well aware of how the television series works, and what needs to be done for both to survive and get the cash. After Tommy tries and fails to get several people to be around him all the time, he lucks out when he finds Maddy who is also in the competition and ready to do what it takes to win the money, including spending all their time together. If they fail, they'll both lose their lives, in addition to the $1 million that's promised early in the movie.
After 'Self-Reliance', Jake Johnson Will Return to the Spider-Verse
After working as an actor for decades, Self Reliance will allow Johnson to find out what he can do with his skills as a director, with a project that will also include performances from Natalie Morales and GaTa. After the original comedy premieres on Hulu, he'll be next seen returning to one of his most iconic roles. Johnson has voiced Peter B. Parker since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released in 2018, and after he reprised the role in this year's sequel, he'll return in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. The third installment of the story currently does not have a release date.
You can check out the first trailer for Self Reliance below before the movie premieres on Hulu on January 12, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
