Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
A return to ‘Self’: Jake Johnson’s ‘Self Reliance’ debuts after months of delays
WHAT’S NEW ON HULU “Self Reliance” (2023)
After months of delays, writer, actor and producer Jake Johnson’s (“New Girl”) feature film directorial debut finally makes it to the screen. The new comedy thriller “Self Reliance” premieres Friday, Jan. 12, on Hulu. Offered $1 million to take part in a reality game show where assassins all over the world have 30 days to try to kill him, Tommy (Johnson) thinks he’s found the perfect loophole: they can only attack when he’s alone. But, when none of his family believe the game is real, Tommy finds himself fighting to stay alive with the help of an unlikely team and learning that he has a lot to live for along the way. Anna Kendrick (“Love Life”), Natalie Morales (“Dead to Me”), Andy Samberg (“Brooklyn NineNine”), GaTa (“Dave”), Wayne Brady (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”), Emily Hampshire (“Schitt’s Creek”), Mary Holland (“Happiest Season,” 2020), basketball player Boban Marjanovic (of the NBA’s Houston Rockets), Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future,” 1985) and Daryl J. Johnson (“Friends in Therapy”) also star.
WHAT’S NEW ON PEACOCK
“Ted”
Go back to the very beginning with Peacock’s new comedic prequel event to the Ted films, when “Ted” debuts with seven episodes Thursday, Jan. 11. Produced by UCP, a division of Universal
Studio Group, Fuzzy Door and MRC, the series heads back to 1993, as Ted (Seth MacFarlane, “Family Guy”), the sentient teddy bear, finds that his moment of fame has passed and he’s back to living in Framingham, Massachusetts, with his best friend, 16-yearold John Bennett (Max Burkholder, “Parenthood”), as well as John’s parents, Matty (Scott Grimes, “The Orville”) and Susan (Alanna Ubach, “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”), and his cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham, “The Punisher”). While Ted may be a terrible influence on John, getting the pair into endless trouble, he still remains a loyal companion who’s willing to risk everything for their friendship. Created, written and directed by MacFarlane, “Ted” also features writing by Dana Gould (“Stan Against Evil”), Julius Sharpe (“United We Fall”) and “Modern Family’s” Paul Corrigan, Brad
Walsh and John Pollack. The series cast also includes Ara Hollyday (“Asteroid City,” 2023), Liz Richman (“Little America”), Jacob Zelonky (“A Dance Story,” 2019), Dustin Pewitt (“9-1-1: Lone Star”), Francesca Xuereb (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”) and Erin Moore (“He Went That Way,” 2023).
WHAT’S NEW ON PRIME VIDEO
“Role Play” (2024)
Try out something new with the action thriller “Role Play,” premiering on Prime Video Friday, Jan. 12. Emma (Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”) has a seemingly perfect life in the New Jersey suburbs with her husband, Dave (David Oyelowo, “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”), and their two kids, but what her family doesn’t know is that Emma leads a secret double life as an assassin for hire. Deciding that they need to spice up their marriage with some role play, Dave and Emma meet as “strangers” at a hotel bar in New York City. But, when the mysterious older man (Bill Nighy, “About Time,” 2013) who was buying them drinks the whole night at the bar winds up dead the next day, the couple’s innocent game turns into a high-stakes mystery. Directed by Thomas Vincent (“Bodyguard”) and written by Seth W. Owen (“Morgan,” 2016), “Role Play” also stars Connie Nielsen (“Gladiator,” 2000), Rudi Dharmalingam (“The Lazarus Project”), Lucia Aliu (“Hijack”) and new talent Reagan Bryan-Gudgeon.
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX
“Lift” (2024)
The stakes are sky high in the new action crime comedy film, “Lift,” premiering Friday, Jan. 12, on Netflix. Led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart, “True
Story”), an intrepid international heist crew is hired to do what they do best: rob the rich. What should be a simple lift — nabbing $500 million — is made just a touch more complicated than they’re used to when they find out the job is set to happen on a plane midflight. On top of that, they’ll (hopefully) stop a terrorist attack along the way. Starring alongside Hart in the film are Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Loki”) as Interpol agent Abby Gladwell; Vincent D’Onofrio (“Godfather of Harlem”) as Denton, a master of disguise and Cyrus’s close friend; Úrsula Corberó (“Money Heist”) as Camila, the team’s gifted getaway driver; Billy Magnussen (“Mad For Love”) as Magnus, a genial safecracker; Jacob Batalon (“SpiderMan: Homecoming,” 2017) as the mysterious digital artist N8; Jean Reno (“Léon: The Professional,” 1994) as investment banker Lars Jorgensen; and Sam Worthington (“Avatar,” 2009) as Dennis Huxley, Abby’s boss at Interpol. Directed by F. Gary Gray (“The Italian Job,” 2003), “Lift” is written by Daniel Kunka (“12 Rounds,” 2009).
WHAT’S NEW ON PARAMOUNT+
“SkyMed” - Season 2
Following the trials, tribulations and triumphs of some of Canada’s bravest, the high-stakes drama series “SkyMed” returns Friday, Jan. 12, to Paramount+ for its second season. “Weaving together intense personal journeys with jaw-dropping medical rescues in the most remote conditions” (per Paramount+), the series looks at the lives of a team of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across Northern Canada. Diving into the new season, the diverse group of first responders take on even bigger, more intense emergencies as they lay it all on the line for their patients — and each other. This season, Natasha Calis (“Nurses”), Morgan Holmstrom (“Day of the Dead”), Praneet Akilla (“Motherland: Fort Salem”), “Ace” Aason Nadjiwon (“Arrow”), Mercedes Morris (“Slasher”), Thomas Elms (“The Order”), Kheon Clarke (“Gabby Duran & The Unsittables”), Braeden Clarke (“Outlander”), Emilia McCarthy (“Zombies,” 2018) and Aaron Ashmore (“Ginny & Georgia”) return to the cast, alongside new series regulars Sydney Kuhne (“Ginny & Georgia”), Ryan Ali (“Foundation”) and Nadine Whiteman-Roden (“Take Note”) as Dr. Yana Noah. The series comes from creator Julie Puckrin (“Motive”).