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In December, Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds announced that their advice podcast, We’re Here to Help, would be coming to a temporary end. The duo had released more than 140 episodes, sometimes devoting five hours a day to recording, and it became unsustainable. Reynolds, a touring comedian, was often Zooming in from the road and Johnson was in the midst of producing a new movie. It made sense to hit pause.

“It kept growing and it got way bigger than I expected,” Johnson says, speaking from his home studio in Los Angeles.

Biff Wiff, a character actor whose screen appearances included several on the TV show I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson and one in the film Self Reliance (pictured above), has died. “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of our beloved client and actor Biff Wiff,” management company Entertainment Lab announced on Instagram on Friday, February 14. “Biff was an amazing person inside and out, and his loving energy could be felt by all. We are sending our heartfelt sympathies to his family [and] loved ones at this time.” Wiff had been battling recurring cancer, according to a GoFundMe campaign that friends had organized to raise money for his treatment. “Thank you so much for all the support,” he told donors in a June 2023 GoFundMe update. “It has really been lifting me up. I just couldn’t believe this kind of support would come my way.

Biff Wiff, the beloved character actor best known for his roles in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson and the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once, has died after his battle with cancer, his talent management company announced online.

“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of our beloved client and actor, Biff Wiff,” Entertainment Lab wrote on Instagram. “Biff was an amazing person inside and out, and his loving energy could be felt by all. We are sending our heartfelt sympathies to his family & loved ones at this time. @biffwiff“

While Wiff’s age was not readily available, he was in his 60’s.

The post included photos of Wiff alongside co-stars like Jake Johnson, with whom he worked on 2023’s Self Reliance and Robinson, who re-shared the post alongside broken heart emojis on his Instagram Story. The comedian and actor also shared...

Emily Hampshire, whose credits include Schitt’s Creek, The Rig, the 12 Monkeys TV series, Self Reliance, and the Stephen King adaptation Chapelwaite, has the lead role in the upcoming horror film Mom, which will be receiving a VOD release in the US (courtesy of Dark Star Pictures) on February 11th and in the UK (courtesy of Blue Finch Film Releasing) on February 17th. With those dates right around the corner, a trailer for Mom has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above. A pair of posters for the film can be found at the bottom of this article.

The feature directorial debut of Adam O’Brien, who caught attention with his short films Bloodbath, Insane, and Banshee, Mom centers on a struggling mother who is abandoned by her family and partner after a horrific incident. As she falls further into isolation, she begins to be haunted by a sinister...

Since her explosion onto the film scene in 2008's Twilight, Anna Kendrick has risen to become a permanent fixture in Hollywood, portraying a variety of different roles. From aspiring music producer Beca Mitchell in Pitch Perfect to Cinderella in Into the Woods, she's seemingly done it all. However, perhaps none of her performances have been more powerful than that of Alice in the 2022 thriller Alice, Darling, which has recently climbed to the number three spot on Hulu's Top 10 most-watched movies.

Helmed by first-time director Mary Nighy, Alice, Darling focuses on Kendrick's character of Alice and the psychologically abusive relationship she finds herself in with her boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick). As she vacations with her two best friends, Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku), without Simon's knowledge, she gets the chance to reevaluate her life, but not before her controlling partner shows up, which leads to a tense...

Nearly two years after Season 1 of Prime Video’s series The Rig premiered, one of the show’s stars is hyping up the start of the second season. Emily Hampshire, who plays Rose on The Rig, took to Instagram to promote Season 2, which is set to premiere on January 2, 2025.

On Dec. 4, Amazon release an official trailer for The Rig Season 2. Via her Instagram page, Hampshire shared the video clip teasing Season 2 of The Rig with the caption: “I can’t wait for everyone to see #TheRig season 2! Think John Carpenter’s #thething + James Cameron’s #theabyss to the power of climate change. I’m so proud to be part of this super special show.”

The trailer and Hampshire’s post with the clip can both be seen below.

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The CW's Batwoman creator joins the prequel series as co-showrunner.

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Exclusive: The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone has come aboard Searchlight’s comedy DNA, starring Ben Schwartz and Sam Rockwell, as director and producer.

The project is the second announced in two weeks for Taccone, who recently launched production in Finland on The Trip, a thriller starring Jason Segel and Samara Weaving. News of the film first broke in the summer of 2020, after Schwartz sold it to Searchlight as an untitled pitch, with Rockwell also cementing his involvement at that time.

DNA‘s logline is being kept under wraps. Schwartz wrote the script, with Ali Bell, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Taccone to produce under their Party Over Here banner. Schwartz and Rockwell are the executive producers. SVP of Production Taylor Friedman and Creative Executive Cornelia Burleigh are overseeing the project for Searchlight Pictures, reporting to Heads of Production and Development DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas.

Taccone broke out as...

Woman of the Hour director Anna Kendrick discussed plans for her next movie after the success of her directorial debut. Woman of the Hour currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and tells the true story of Sheryl Bradshaw, played by Kendrick, who appeared on an episode of The Dating Game in 1978, which also included a contestant who was later revealed to be serial killer Rodney Alcala. In addition to Kendrick, the cast of Woman of the Hour includes Daniel Zovatto, Autumn Best, Nicolette Robinson, and Tony Hale.

Following her successful directorial debut, Kendrick admits to Variety that she currently does not know what her next movie will be. Originally, Kendrick was doubtful Woman of the Hour would be successful at all. However, after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024, Netflix purchased the movie, and Woman of the Hour has received a slew of positive reviews. She...

‘Yellowstone’ & More Packed in Paramount Volume For BeIN

Middle Eastern broadcast giant BeIN Media has secured the likes of Yellowstone, Frasier and Colin From Accounts through an exclusive multi-year agreement with Paramount Global Content Distribution. Also included in the deal are Yellowstone spin-offs 1883 and 1923, Billions, Frasier, Knuckles, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Mayor of Kingston, Paw Patrol, Ray Donovan, Tulsa King and the upcoming NCIS: Tony & Ziva, along with feature films such as Bob Marley: One Love, Rob Peace, Self Reliance and the Transformers and Mission: Impossible franchises. Paramount has similar deals in place with Cosmote in Greece, Streamz in Belgium, MultiChoice in Africa, JioCinema in India, Blast TV in the Philippines and Mono in Thailand. “This agreement underscores beIN’s commitment to delivering the best in entertainment to our audiences in the Mena region,” said Esra Özaral Altop, Chief Entertainment Content Officer, at BeIN. “By expanding our relationship with Paramount...

Many actors try to pick projects that would get them critical recognition and lead to awards and other accolades, yet there are few guarantees in the film industry that a film will be a hit with both critics and the audience. Anna Kendrick, who is just fresh off her first directed movie, has managed quite an impressive streak with the critics.

Anna Kendrick's first role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society, which also led to her first big nomination: a Tony Award nod for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She didn't win and went on to make her feature debut in 2003's musical comedy Camp, and a supporting role in the Twilight Saga. Although her acting credits include over 50 titles, both live-action and voiceover roles, she has achieved an amazing Rotten Tomatoes streak that has lasted over the last four years, and her new movie, Woman of the Hour,...

Paramount’s Republic Pictures has acquired global rights to Jason Biggs’ directorial debut feature, the tentatively titled action-comedy “Getaway.”

“Getaway,” in which the “American Pie” actor also stars, centers on a hapless husband who stages a home invasion during a romantic getaway weekend in a desperate attempt to save his marriage, only for plan to go very wrong.

The cast includes Meaghan Rath (“Hawaii Five-0”), Arturo Castro (“Broad City”), Justin H. Min (“The Umbrella Academy”) and Anna Konkle (“Pen15”).

Currently in post production, “Getaway” was written by Jamie Napoli and Joshua Paul Johnson and produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America CEO Brad Krevoy, Charles Cohen, Jimmy Philémond-Montout, David Anselmo and executive produced by Mpca’s Amy Krell.

The latest acquisition is among a slew of new titles the label has acquired in recent months.

‘September 5’

Republic Pictures’ “September 5,” Tim Fehlbaum’s news crew thriller revolving around the 1972 Olympics hostage crisis,...

Everybody knows Andy Samberg as a comedy superstar. But Kate Winslet, Sambergs costar in Lee, seems to have proclaimed the Emmy-nominated SNL and Brooklyn Nine-Nine star a serious dramatic actor. Winslet, an Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner, stars as acclaimed American war correspondent and photographer, Lee Miller, in the new film. Samberg plays David Scherman, who became one of Millers contemporaries at Vogue magazine. The man who shot the famous photograph of Miller in Adolf Hitlers bathtub in his Munich flat.

Yet another gripping scene in Hitlers apartment finds Samberg reacting to the unimaginable Nazi terror and Holocaust surrounding him and his colleague. Suddenly, we see Winslet embrace Samberg as he sobs in his costar's embrace. In a recent interview with MovieWeb, we asked the actor, whose family is Jewish, what was going through his mind when filming that scene.

Lee (2024)

Release Date September 27, 2024Director Ellen KurasCast Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg,...

Actor Jake Johnson, best known for New Girl and the voice of Peter B. Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, will star in a new pickleball-themed comedy movie called The Dink. Deadline reports the film is being produced by Ben Stillers Red Hour Films and Rivulet Films and will also star Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris.

Stiller and tennis champion Andy Roddick will have a key supporting role in the movie. Josh Greenbaum will direct the movie. The original screenplay is written by Sean Clements. Greenbaums documentary Will & Harper chronicles a road trip taken by Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, a former Saturday Night Live writer, who is going through a gender transition. The film hits Netflix Sept. 27 and is already garnering awards buzz.

Related 'It Wasn't Intentional': Ben Stiller Explains 7-Year Hiatus From Lead Movie Roles

Nutcrackers star Ben Stiller opens up...

Ben Stiller is returning to the sports world for his next project, a pickleball movie titled The Dink.

Jake Johnson, Mary Steeburgen, and Ed Harris are set to star in the joint venture from Stiller’s Red Hour Films and Rivulet Films, with tennis star Andy Roddick and Stiller in supporting roles. Josh Greenbaum, who is working on the upcoming Spaceballs sequel, is set to direct the project.

The Dink follows “a washed-up tennis pro (Johnson) who, in trying to save a club in crisis and win his father’s respect, is forced to break a solemn vow and do the one thing he swore he’d never do: play pickleball.”

This year, pickleball was named the fastest-growing sport in America for the third consecutive year, and an estimated 36 million people have picked up the game as its popularity has continued to grow. The movie is scheduled to begin shooting...

Ben Stiller returns to the world of sports with an all-star cast for a new film. Red Hour Films and Rivulet Films will re-team for the upcoming pickleball comedy, The Dink, which is set to star Jake Johnson in the leading role, with Mary Steenburgen (Book Club series) and Ed Harris (Pollock) also set to star. Ben Stiller (Zoolander) and former tennis champion Andy Roddick will have key supporting roles. Josh Greenbaum will direct the original screenplay from Sean Clements (Workaholics). Principal photography is set to begin in Los Angeles in November.

The Dink follows a washed-up tennis pro (Johnson) who, in trying to save a club in crisis and win his father’s respect, is forced to break a solemn vow and do the one thing he swore he’d never do: play pickleball.

John Lesher and Ben Stiller are producing through their Red Hour Films banner alongside Rivulet...

Former tennis champion Andy Roddick will star alongside Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris in the upcoming pickleball comedy “The Dink.”

Josh Greenbaum, the filmmaker of “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” and the upcoming documentary “Will & Harper,” is directing the film. Ben Stiller’s company Red Hour Films and Rivulet Films will serve as producers. Sean Clements wrote the screenplay for “The Dink,” which is set to begin principle photography this November in Los Angeles.

Johnson will play a washed-up tennis pro who is trying to save a club in crisis and win his father’s respect. But in the process, he’s forced to break a solemn vow and do the one thing he swore he’d never do: play pickleball. It’s unclear who anyone else is playing in “The Dink,” but Stiller will appear in a supporting role.

Rivulet will also be...

After their collaboration on Nutcrackers, Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films and Rivulet Films will reteam for the pickleball comedy The Dink.

Jake Johnson has nabbed the leading role as he plays a washed-up tennis pro who, to save a club in crisis and win his father’s respect, does the one thing he swore he’d never do: play pickleball. The cast includes Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris, while Stiller and former tennis champion Andy Roddick will have key supporting roles.

Johnson is coming off Self Reliance, his feature-length directorial debut that he also wrote and stars in. Josh Greenbaum will direct The Dink from an original screenplay from Sean Clements, with production to start in Los Angeles in November.

John Lesher and Stiller are producing through their Red Hour Films banner, alongside Rivulet’s Rob Paris and Mike Witherill. Johnson will also produce. Stiller and Rivulet Films most...

Jake Johnson has become quite a well-known actor since his role in Fox’s New Girl. Playing the character of Nick Miller, his performance was iconic in so many ways, becoming one of the most unhinged and beloved characters in all of sitcom history. Since then, the actor has only increased his versatility in his craft, being a part of projects like Self Reliance, Let’s Be Cops, Minx, and most famously, voicing Peter B. Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Jake Johnson in New Girl | Credit: Fox

Knowing how much success and recognition he has gained through these roles, it is not surprising when he joins the cast of some projects. However, there was one particular series that had quite a lot of drama surrounding it.

Jake Johnson’s Stolen Part?

In 2019, Jake Johnson was a part of the drama series, Stumptown. Starring another sitcom and Marvel legend, Cobie Smulders,...

Emily Hampshire, known for portraying Stevie Budd on Schitts Creek and Jennifer Goines on SyFys 12 Monkeys, is joining the cast of the new film Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice.

According to The Wrap, Hampshire will play a crooked cop in the high-concept buddy action-comedy movie that will be set in a criminal underworld. BenDavid Grabinski is serving as writer and director on the project. Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza Gonzlez, Jimmy Tatro and Keith David will also be in the film.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by emily hampshire (@emilyhampshire) Emily Hampshire Has Been Keeping Busy

Hampshire recently appeared in the films Humane, The Mattachine Family, Fitting In, and Self Reliance. She was in 78 of the 80 episodes of Schitts Creek, during the series six-season run from 2015 to 2020.

Fans of Schitts Creek may remember the bond between Eugene Levys Johnny Rose and Hampshires character on the series.

Jackpot! is an action comedy film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Rob Yescombe. The Prime Video film is set in the near future in California and it follows the story of Katie, a struggling actress who wins the lottery but according to the law, anyone with a losing ticket is allowed to kill the winner and take the winnings. To survive Katie teams up with Noel, an amateur lottery protection agent. Jackpot! stars Awkwafina and John Cena in the lead roles with Simu Liu, Donald Elise Watkins, Sam Asghari, Colson Baker, and Marian Green starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the action, unique plot, and comedic moments in Jackpot! here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Self Reliance (Hulu) Credit – Hulu

Self Reliance is a dark comedy thriller film written and directed by Jake Johnson. The 2023 film follows the story of Tommy,...

Exclusive: Republic Pictures has snagged two more movies, taking global rights to Saoirse Ronan-starrer Bad Apples and international rights to horror rom-com Heart Eyes.

Paramount revived the historic label in 2023 with a remit to acquire third-party fare. Paramount’s Chief Content Licensing Officer, Dan Cohen, is also President of Republic Pictures. He shared the news of its latest acquisitions with Deadline and broke down the strategy at Republic ahead of his keynote at the Monte Carlo TV Festival.

Bad Apples is a satirical comedy with thriller elements. Republic Pictures acquired the Pulse Films-produced movie from HanWay Films. Saoirse Ronan stars as a teacher who accidentally locks the titular bad apple – a badly-behaved student – in her basement, with comedic and dramatic consequences. Based on Rasmus Lindgren’s novel De Oönskade, Jonatan Etzler directs from Jess O’Kane’s script.

“I really want films that I believe can have some theatrical life internationally,...

Republic Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Millers in Marriage, a new film written, directed by and starring Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen).

Details as to the release plan haven’t been disclosed. The starry ensemble also includes Julianna Margulies (The Morning Show), Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire), Minnie Driver (The Serpent Queen), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool), Benjamin Bratt (Mother of the Bride), Campbell Scott (Dying Young), Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight) and Patrick Wilson (Insidious franchise).

Millers in Marriage follows Eve Miller (Mol), the former lead singer-songwriter of an indie rock band, who finds herself drawn to a music journalist (Bratt) amid a toxic marriage. Meanwhile, Eve’s sister Maggie (Margulies), a bestselling author, is encountering challenges in her marriage of 30 years as her career surpasses her husband’s. At the same time, Renee (Driver), a recently divorced successful fashion executive, is navigating a budding relationship with Andy Miller (Burns), an artist...

Andy Samberg is set to star in a comedy feature from the directing team known as Radio Silence.

Amazon MGM Studios has landed the comedy pitch package for The Robots Go Crazy, with Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett attached to helm the film and Samberg attached to star, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Plot details have not been disclosed, but the movie is described as an action comedy.

Samberg, Ali Bell, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone will serve as producers for The Lonely Island’s production company Party Over Here. Also producing are Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Radio Silence’s Chad Villella and Silk Mass’ Jon Silk.

Andrew Lanham is writing the script and will executive produce. Lanham, who previously worked on the scripts for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Just Mercy, is repped by UTA, Kaplan Perrone and Ziffren Brittenham.

After appearing in the recent Hulu release Self Reliance,...

Before you make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best TV Movie, take a look through our photo gallery featuring the telefilms most likely to land in this year’s lineup. As it stands, Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” (a continuation of the eight-time Emmy-winning 2000s comedy series “Monk”) is comfortably leading the race.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case” would be the first Peacock movie ever nominated in this category, as would “Genie” or “Shooting Stars.”

Last year, Hulu’s “Fire Island” and “Prey” were both passed over in favor of The Roku Channel’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” but the streamer could soon avenge those losses with “No One Will Save You,” “Quiz Lady,” or “Self Reliance.”

Netflix – which won this award for three “Black Mirror” installments (2017-2019) as well as “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (2021) – can now achieve its fifth victory with “Scoop” or “Unfrosted.”

Having last been...

Before you make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best TV Movie, take a look through our photo gallery featuring the telefilms most likely to land in this year’s lineup. As it stands, Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” (a continuation of the eight-time Emmy-winning 2000s comedy series “Monk”) is comfortably leading the race.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case” would be the first Peacock movie ever nominated in this category, as would “Genie” or “Shooting Stars.”

Last year, Hulu’s “Fire Island” and “Prey” were both passed over in favor of The Roku Channel’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” but the streamer could soon avenge those losses with “No One Will Save You,” “Quiz Lady,” or “Self Reliance.”

Netflix – which won this award for three “Black Mirror” installments (2017-2019) as well as “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (2021) – can now achieve its fifth victory with “Scoop” or “Unfrosted.”

Having last been...

It’s time to raise an Aviation gin martini to toast Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively returning for another glamorous mystery with A Simple Favor 2 from director Paul Feig.

Amazon MGM Studios announced Wednesday that the sequel movie, which is a co-production with Lionsgate, is looking to begin shooting this spring and will stream on Prime Video. Feig is back to helm the follow-up to his 2018 dark comedy, with Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho and Kelly McCormack all reprising their roles from the first feature.

Jessica Sharzer, who penned the initial movie, returned to write the sequel, with Feig and Laeta Kalogridis also contributing to the script. Sharzer’s screenplay for the original film was based on the 2017 novel of the same name by author Darcey Bell.

A Simple Favor 2 sees Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) heading to the island of Capri for Emily’s lavish wedding.

The rules are simple: Survive 30 days while being hunted by people attempting to kill you, and win one million dollars. As long as you're with another person, the hunters will leave you alone. This is the proposition presented to Tommy Walcott by a paid-to-be-there Andy Samberg in the Hulu film "Self Reliance." Written, directed, produced, and starring Jake Johnson, "Self Reliance" taps into the thrilling anticipation of David Fincher's "The Game," but with a lighthearted sense of humor and hell of a lot of heart that could only come from the guy who gave us Nick Miller on "New Girl" and one of the best episodes of "Mythic Quest."

Tommy decides to exploit the loophole by paying a transient man named James/Walter (Biff Wiff) to stay with him 24/7. He also encounters a woman named Maddy (Anna Kendrick) who is also playing the game, and who Tommy starts to...

The romantic comedy Anyone but You (read our review Here) has earned around $200 million at the worldwide box office (on a budget of $25 million) since its theatrical release back in December, and now Sony Pictures is bringing it home! The film received a digital release on February 20th (you can watch it at This Link) and will be reaching DVD and Blu-ray on March 12th (pre-order Here) – and today, right in between those two release dates, we’ve gotten our hands on an Exclusive clip from a bonus featurette! You can check it out in the embed above.

Here’s the film’s synopsis: In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea and Ben Glen Powell look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia.

“Self Reliance” is a new comedy feature, written and directed by Jake Johnson, starring Johnson, Andy Samberg and Bjorn Johnson, now streaming on Hulu:

“…when a man is offered a million dollars to play a game in which hunters try to kill him, he thinks he has found the perfect loophole: they can only attack when he’s alone. His only problem is that none of his friends or family believe the game is real…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

The following contains spoilers for Destroy All Neighbors, now streaming on Shudder.

If any horror fan ever dreamed of seeing Alex Winter from Bill and Ted portray a demon who plays prog rock, Destroy All Neighbors has them covered. Destroy All Neighbors is a successful modern horror comedy that feels like a step inside the 1980s. Directed by John Forbes, the Shudder original is zany, morbid, and sickly funny -- causing the film to feel like a gorier version of Beetlejuice. Yet while the movie does borrow from many camp classics, it maintains its own identity. And even though it's outlandish for much of its runtime, it contains a massive amount of heart and relatability, which could very well help catapult this movie to cult status.

Destroy All Neighbors stars Jonah Ray as William Brown, a down on his luck musician who dreams of finishing his ambitious progressive rock album...

The 2000s were seen by many as a golden age of edgy, risky and raunchy comedy, especially as actors like Seth Rogen, James Franco and Steve Carell saw their careers take off. One of the decade's best films was Mean Girls, a comedy centered around high school clique culture. With the movie's 2024 remake having been released, many fans have been revisiting some of the other comedies that made the 2000s the fun decade for movies that it was.

Comedies have a unique ability to unite viewers around a shared sense of humor and mutual enjoyment of jokes and witty plots. Ranging from amusing satire to absurd buddy comedies and unique romcoms, the decade remains a safe bet for people who want good, reliable humor. Not only did the 2000s build up some of the genre's best acting careers, it pulled no punches and earned the respect and love of viewers.

“Self Reliance” is a new comedy feature, written and directed by Jake Johnson, starring Johnson, Andy Samberg and Bjorn Johnson, now streaming on Hulu:

“…when a man is offered a million dollars to play a game in which hunters try to kill him, he thinks he has found the perfect loophole: they can only attack when he’s alone. His only problem is that none of his friends or family believe the game is real…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

As we once again find ourselves in the midst of another year at the movies, we eagerly look forward to the films scheduled for release in the coming year. There is probably something coming out that should be over interest to everyone (at least that’s probably the hope of most filmmakers). As always, there will be the usual sequels and big blockbusters, as well as a plethora of additional titles in multiple genres to choose from. We hope you find this list of the upcoming films of 2024 and their release dates useful and that it helps you plan what you’re going to look forward to over the next twelve months.

The list below gathers all of the titles we know (right now at least) that are coming in 2024 by their current release date. Remember, these dates are subject to change. So, as dates change (and time permits) we...

It's been nearly six years since the end of New Girl, but actor Jake Johnson is still best known for his role as endearingly schlubby bartender Nick Miller on that hit Fox sitcom. Maybe that's because Johnson has taken very Nick Miller-like roles in his subsequent career, remaining in his wheelhouse of lovable slackers struggling to mature and grow. Even in a movie he wrote and directed, Johnson sticks with the kind of character he knows best, but that works to the advantage of his charming directorial debut, Self Reliance.

Although Johnson keeps things low-key in Self Reliance, he builds the story around a sci-fi high concept that recalls bigger-budget movies like The Running Man and David Fincher's The Game. Even within a limited budget, Johnson suggests a mysterious realm of manipulative overlords beyond the existence of his downtrodden protagonist. Johnson plays Tommy Walcott, who's introduced via a montage...

New Girl declined in popularity during its run and lost industry attention. Critics turned on the show around season 3, causing a change in perception of the show, per Jake Johnson. The show did not have a traditional farewell and talk show appearances, but found a new generation of viewers on Netflix.

New Girl star Jake Johnson candidly looks back on the show's mixed trajectory, detailing how it declined in popularity. The sitcom was created by Elizabeth Meriwether and ran for seven seasons on Fox. But it has maintained a supportive audience due to its streaming availability, showcasing the talents of Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, Damon Wayans Jr., and Johnson. But when it concluded in 2018, New Girl's ratings had shrunk noticeably and lost the industry attention it once had.

During an interview with The Big Picture to discuss his directorial debut Self Reliance, Johnson also candidly...

Emily Hampshire, whose credits include Schitt’s Creek, The Rig, the 12 Monkeys TV series, the recently released Self Reliance, and the Stephen King adaptation Chapelwaite, has the lead role in the upcoming horror film Mom, which sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films will be presenting to potential buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin next month. The movie will then be having its world premiere at FrightFest Glasgow in March.

The feature directorial debut of Adam O’Brien, who caught attention with his short films Bloodbath, Insane, and Banshee, Mom centers on a struggling mother who is abandoned by her family and partner after a horrific incident. As she falls further into isolation, she begins to be haunted by a sinister entity that is determined to make her relive her darkest moments.

Hampshire is joined in the cast by François Arnaud (Marlowe) and Christian Convery (Cocaine Bear).

O’Brien produced Mom with Benoit Beaulieu,...

We had the pleasure of discussing Self Reliance with Jake Johnson and his co-star, Biff Wiff, who, in the film, form an unlikely friendship to keep Johnson’s character from getting killed by mysterious assassins.

Speaking with Johnson and Wiff, we touch on the origin and journey of bringing Self Reliance to screens, how the duo built their on-screen chemistry, and whether Johnson and Wiff could spend 30 days in each other’s company non-stop.

In Self Reliance, Tommy (Johnson), a middle-aged man, is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg. His dull life takes a thrilling turn when the Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Saturday Night Live alum offers him a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality TV show. Here’s the catch: the game involves assassins from all over the world attempting to hunt and kill him for 30 days. However, the rules dictate that...

Radio Silence Productions and Project X Entertainment, which were behind the revival of the Scream franchise with Scream (2022) and last year’s Scream VI, have formed a joint financing pact with studio MRC to fund and produce horror and thriller features, Variety reports. As part of this deal, the companies are aiming to produce two or three genre movies every year.

Radio Silence and Project X also collaborated on Ready or Not and the upcoming Universal vampire movie Abigail (formerly known as Dracula’s Daughter). As for MRC, that studio has been behind such films as Knives Out, Devil, Baby Driver, The Blackening, Saltburn, American Fiction, and Self Reliance.

Radio Silence members Chad Villella, Tyler Gillett, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin provided the following statement: “To be able to formalize our alliance with Project X and work with a studio in MRC that champions original and fresh films couldn’t be more exciting to us as storytellers.

For those who just watched Hulu’s new movie, Self Reliance, and are looking for a rundown on its shocking plot, this is the place to be.

The recently released film is Jake Johnson’s feature directorial debut. The story follows Tommy, a middle-aged man who is going through a hard time, only to be randomly selected in a dangerous game show that could change his life forever.

While this might sound dangerous to some, it does not stop Tommy from jumping into the deep end.

Read full article on The Direct.

Jake Johnson makes his directorial debut with the wild dark comedy, Self Reliance, starring alongside Anna Kendrick and Andy Samberg. The movie revolves around a man who is offered $1 million to star in a dark web competition show where he is hunted for 30 days, but can only be killed when alone. The casting of the ensemble cast was crucial to capturing the right tone, and the movie combines humor, a unique paranoid thriller plot, and themes of connection.

Jake Johnson is making his directorial debut with the wild dark comedy, Self Reliance. Also written by and starring the New Girl alum, the movie revolves around a man down on his luck who is offered the ability to star in a dark web competition show in which he will be hunted for 30 days, and if he survives, he will win $1 million at the end. In order to avoid being a target,...

Jake Johnson’s directorial debut, Self Reliance, is here, but some might misinterpret its ending.

The Hulu movie follows Johnson’s Tommy Walcott, a struggling middle-aged man stumbling through life. He doesn't have a very strong career path, and he’s still not over his ex, who recently broke up with him, and he lives with his mom.

His life gets an injection of excitement when Tommy is picked up by actor Andy Samberg, who tells him that he’s been chosen to participate in a new game. It's later revealed the competition, which is hosted on the Dark Web, requires Tommy to stay alive for 30 days, and if he does, he wins one million dollars.

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Hulu has always been the streaming service for the people who want to get their money’s worth and this month with some brand new animes, some original shows and movies, and a Marvel series they will get it. So, start the first month of the new year with Hulu’s entertaining offerings and handpick what to watch this month CinemaBlind is always here to help you.

Ishura Season 1 (January 3)

Anime is one of the most popular and creative platforms for telling out-of-this-world stories and over the years, it is becoming more and more mainstream with some animes like Attack of Titan, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many more becoming even more popular than your average streaming shows. Hulu has always been ahead in the anime game in the US, if we compare it to other streaming services this month we will see the second part of The Devil is a Part Timer!

R.I.P. Minx, but fear not, Jake Johnson fans. The New Girl alum and voice of Peter B. Parker in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is generating headlines for his directorial debut in Self Reliance. Johnson also wrote and stars in the engaging comedy thriller about a middle-aged man who’s offered a chance to win $1 million via a trippy dark web reality TV show where assassins try to kill him. If he remains alive after 30 days, he’s rich. But is it all legit?

Self Reliance also stars Anna Kendrick, Natalie Morales, Andy Samberg, GaTa Holland, Emily Hampshire, Mary Holland, and Boban Marjanović. And Biff Wiff of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Night Court, and Jury Duty delivers yet another memorable turn, this time playing a homeless man with a big heart.

Fans of comedy thrillers will appreciate the great mix of action and humor running throughout Self Reliance.

And now, we wait. The bulk of precursor nominations have poured in, and Oscar voting is newly underway. Aside from the final BAFTA roster, most of what’s left is merely a swift march to January 23, nomination day. A couple of films in particular are making well-timed streaming premieres that function as end-of-the-road campaign strategies.

The contender to stream this week: “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project”

This Oscar-shortlisted documentary co-directed by spouses Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, who also made 2013’s “American Promise,” follows the eponymous poet and activist through years of civil-rights evolutions. If Black women can withstand the hardships of Earth, Giovanni posits, maybe they can survive in space, too. “Going to Mars” is more experimental than the average biography, which makes sense for such an elusive figure. The film won a jury prize at Sundance and has an Independent Spirit Award nomination. It’s newly streaming on Max.

Self Reliance is Jake Johnson's directorial debut with a stellar cast that turns absurdity into memorable characters. Anna Kendrick shines as Maddy, a woman who forms a romantic connection with the emotionally stunted Tommy. Biff Wiff delivers a standout performance as James, a homeless man who helps Tommy navigate the dangerous reality show.

Jake Johnson has been a staple of television for a long time, but he’s graduated to directing movies — and his directorial debut, Self Reliance, has a stellar cast to tell its wild, twisty comedic tale. Self Reliance has received a mostly positive critical reception, and while it’s quite absurd in its premise, the exceptional cast make the most out of it and turn their characters into memorable ones (even if some actors are just playing themselves).

Self Reliance premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and follows Tommy, a man who’s seemingly hit rock...

Filming is officially underway on “Stranger Things 5,” which is set to be the final season of the hit Netflix series. A behind the scenes photo shared by Netflix earlier this week previewed all the familiar faces who will be back for Season 5 – including David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder and Maya Hawke – but there’s one actor you didn’t see in there.

One of the new characters introduced in “Stranger Things 4” was Eduardo Franco’s Argyle, the stoner employee of Surfer Boy Pizza who ended up playing a pivotal role in the season’s California-set events. Like most characters on the show, audiences ended up falling in love with Argyle, but don’t expect to see the character return in “Stranger Things 5.”

Franco reveals on the Steve Varley Show, “I never got a phone call. So yeah, I think that’s it.”

Eduardo Franco can currently be seen...

For better or worse, Jake Johnson knows who he is.

As a “45-year-old white dude,” he says, he knows that opportunities to direct for the big screen aren’t going to come along often. “In terms of directing, I’m not breaking at this point,” Johnson tells Deadline. “I’ve been on TV for too long. I’m not a new, young, exciting talent out of Sundance with a scarf where you go, ‘That’s a beautiful short, let’s see what he has.'” The town has seen what I do.”

So when the opportunity came for the actor to make his directorial debut with Self Reliance, a comedic thriller co-starring Anna Kendrick that premiered at last year’s SXSW, he knew he’d bring all the “tones and ideas” that had been taking up space in his mind for years and squeeze them into one movie.

Debuting on Hulu today,...

Through four seasons, the cast of Netflix’s mega-hit Stranger Things has grown so large and unwieldy that it seemed unlikely that every actor would return for the fifth and final season. Well sure enough, we’ve now received confirmation that Stranger Things season 5 will be leaving at least one character out.

In an interview with the Steve Varley Show, actor Eduardo Franco says he never received a call from Netflix, making it unlikely that his character Argyle will return – especially since production on season 5 is now underway again following strike delays.

Eduardo Franco says he never got a call to return as Argyle for the final season of ‘Stranger Things’.

(Source: https://t.co/ED8QuztGPs) pic.twitter.com/Q2BBBdraWW

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 11, 2024

With no disrespect intended to Franco (who can currently be seen in Jake Johnson’s directorial debut Self Reliance on Hulu), the character of Argyle...

Fans are freaking out over the New Girl reunion that happened this week!

Former co-stars Jake Johnson and Zooey Deschanel met up and snapped a photo at the premiere of his new movie Self Reliance held at La Cita Bar on Tuesday (January 9) in Los Angeles.

The actress and her fiancé Jonathan Scott showed their support for her former co-star at his premiere for the Hulu film, which he also wrote and directed.

Keep reading to find out more…

Also in attendance were Jake‘s co-stars Anna Kendrick, Natalie Morales, GaTa, Emily Hampshire, Mary Holland and more.

Jake and Zooey‘s reunion pic was first featured in the middle of a slideshow on Hulu’s Instagram account on Thursday (January 11), and fans were excited to see the two back together!

“Oh My God Nick And Jess,” one fan commented on the post.

Freeform hilariously wrote, “no warning for slide 4?!”

In...

Self Reliance is a comedic thriller starring Jake Johnson that is both outrageously funny and fun throughout. The film follows Tommy, a middle-aged man in need of a change, who agrees to participate in a dark web reality TV show to win $1 million. With engaging dialogue, well-executed action sequences, and Johnson's likability, the film strikes a fun balance between comedy and action. It's not a masterpiece, but it's inspiring and fun.

Comedic absurdity abounds in Self Reliance, a welcome comedy thriller starring Jake Johnson (Minx), who also wrote the screenplay and makes his directorial debut. It’s a fun romp, oftentimes outrageously funny, as it moves along at an all-too-steady pace. Johnson, who became an audience favorite in shows like New Girl and Minx, knows how to put on the charming buffoonery for which he’s become famous. He certainly captures the mood throughout Self Reliance — from sparking hope to...