Jake Johnson: Japanese reality show inspired 'Self Reliance'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Writer, director and star Jake Johnson said his movie, Self Reliance, premiering Friday on Hulu, was inspired by Japanese reality show Susunu! Denpa Shönen.

Johnson plays Tommy, a contestant on a bizarre game show.

The show, hosted by Andy Samberg (playing himself), sends assassins after Tommy whenever he is alone. So, Tommy thinks he can win by surrounding himself with someone else at all times.

In 1998, Susunu! Denpa Shönen locked comedian Nasubi in a room with no clothes or food. Nasubi could only obtain supplies or nourishment by winning magazine and radio contests.

"I was like, 'Man, that's going to be coming to the States and that's what entertainment is going to be,'" Johnson told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "Now, I wouldn't be surprised to see that on CBS."

While modern television has yet to sanction murder, Johnson said YouTubers and Influencers continue to push the boundaries of documentary content.

"You've got a guy like MrBeast who's doing really wild stuff," Johnson said. "He locked two people into a white room with white walls for something like 90 days and they went utterly insane."

Johnson, who previously directed an episode of New Girl, said he was not necessarily looking for a film to direct, but felt he needed to control the tone of Self Reliance.

"For this specific movie, the tone really meant a lot to me," Johnson said. "It was very specific, and I felt like I knew what I wanted it to be."

The film questions whether the game show is real or whether Tommy is just having delusions. Johnson said he wanted to ensure the viewer could believe either option until the film reveals the truth.

"Every scene, you had to be able to justify each side of the argument," Johnson said. "Until the ending, we wanted to make sure that both sides could work because I felt like that was part of the fun of watching the movie."

Johnson graduated New York University for screenwriting in 2001. He began to be offered acting work while performing sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade and Improv Olympic.

Before Self Reliance, Johnson wrote the films Digging for Fire, Win It All and Ride the Eagle, all starring Johnson as well. Were it not for the unconventional tone of Self Reliance, Johnson said, he would not necessarily pursue directing.

"Directing was not something that was the big dream," he said. "The idea of creation was always the big thing."

That can be playing a character in someone else's creation, Johnson added, such as his role in the series Minx. Max canceled Minx despite producing a second season. Starz aired that second season, but then canceled the show again.

Johnson said he was happy to get to do two years of the show.

"I see that as a victory," Johnson said. "Would I have liked to do more? Absolutely."

Minx starred Ophelia Lovibond as Joyce, a publisher in the '70s who combines her feminist magazine with Doug Renetti's (Johnson) idea for an adult magazine aimed at women.

The Season 2 finale set up Joyce and Doug as rivals for a potential third season. Doug was made president of a new publishing company, while Joyce decided to keep her magazine running independently.

"We were talking a lot about what happens to Doug," Johnson said. "The big thing was he's about to get a lot of power."

Johnson also is waiting to record his role in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. The third animated Spider-Man film was postponed during the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes.

The animated films cast Johnson as Peter Parker from another universe, who mentors Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). Johnson said he's had discussions about the next film's story after the cliffhanger ending of Across the Spider-Verse.

"I know some stuff from talking to the writers and [producers] Phil [Lord] and Chris [Miller]," Johnson said. "There's great stuff coming, but I just don't know what stage they're exactly at."