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Rashida Jones is one of those actors who turn up just about everywhere. She played Louisa Fenn on the Fox high school faculty drama "Boston Public," she was lawyer Marylin Delpy in David Fincher's "The Social Network", and her character Ann Perkins was an important part of the NBC hit sitcom "Parks and Recreation." She's also been known to work on sci-fi projects as of late, appearing in the "Black Mirror" season 7 opener ("Common People") as Amanda and playing the decoy protagonist Allison Becker in "Silo," one of the best sci-fi shows on Apple TV+.

As it happens, however, these aren't Jones' only recent science-fiction endeavors. In 2024, she starred in another Apple TV+ show -- one that could have become a stone cold classic if it wasn't for the fact that it was canceled after just one season. Said series was "Sunny," a dark comedy which pairs Jones' Suzie...

A couple of months ago, we heard that Sophie Thatcher (Companion), Kristine Froseth (Sierra Burgess Is a Loser), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), and Charles Melton (Warfare) were set to star in Her Private Hell, the latest film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. Now, Deadline has revealed the names of several more cast members. They are: Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II), Diego Calva (Babylon), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car). Details on the characters they’ll be playing have not been revealed, which makes sense, since we don’t have any idea what the story is, either. We’re assuming that Sophie Thatcher is the “her” of the title, but it’s not clear what the “private hell” is.

Refn is best known for making the 2011 film Drive. His other directing credits include Pusher, Bleeder, Fear X, Pusher II, Pusher III, Bronson,...

Nicolas Winding Refn is going for a film that’ll have a truly international identity — Deadline reports that Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Kristine Froseth, and Havana Rose Liu will cross paths with Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, Aoi Yamada, Shioli Kutsuna and Hidetoshi Nishijima in Refn’s Her Private Hell. Production has already began on the Neon title which is poised for a Cannes 2026 launch. We have been following the project since it was first announced in April. Reminder that the film will work in both the English and Japanese language. While we still don’t know the plotline, we learn that the project was co-written alongside Esti Giordani.…...

Exclusive: Nicolas Winding Refn, the provocateur filmmaker behind titles like Drive and Bronson, has added five to the cast of his new Neon flick, Her Private Hell: Dougray Scott (Irvine Welsh’s Crime), Diego Calva (Babylon), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car).

Plot and character details are being kept under wraps for the project, which marks Refn’s first for the big screen since The Neon Demon, starring Elle Fanning, in 2016. Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Kristine Froseth, and Havana Rose Liu will lead the cast, as previously announced. Production is underway, with Neon repping worldwide rights and releasing the film in U.S. theaters, and Neon International handling foreign sales.

Written by Refn and Esti Giordani, Her Private Hell is directed and produced by Refn. Executive producers include Takuma Takasaki (Perfect Days), Kimberly Willming, Christina Erritzøe, and Lene Børglum, under the byNWR Originals banner.

Coming off its sixth consecutive Palme d’Or win with Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, which it acquired at Cannes, Neon won a total of six awards at the festival, including the Grand Prix for Joachim Trier’s buzzy Sentimental Value. Also in Cannes, Neon debuted Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5, and Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville, acquiring North American rights to Sirât from Oliver Laxe, The Secret Agent from Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Ugo Bienvenu’s animated feature Arco with Natalie Portman.

Scott is represented by Gersh and Independent Talent Group; Calva by WME, Entertainment 360, and Lumina Management; Kutsuna by United Agents and Prime Talent Media; and Nishijima by CAA and Artists International Group.

Making a remake of a feature you have directed in the past is always a risky business. Many directors such as John Woo, for example, have failed to re-capture what has made their original work unique and exciting. However, Kiyoshi Kurosawa is perhaps an exception, but with a career spanning over decades and a multi-faceted filmography, it should come as no surprise he would welcome such a challenge with open arms. So when he was offered the opportunity to remake one of his past features, his choice was 1998’s “Serpent’s Path”, a work which has seemingly fallen under the radar over the years. Despite a few changes, his 2024 remake which premiered at San Sebastián Film Festival 2024 stays true to its roots and also manages to refine some of the rough areas of the original.

Serpent’s Path is screening at Nippon Connection

After the gruesome death of his daughter, Albert (Damien Bonnard...

El thriller estará escrito y dirigido por Henry Dunham. © Getty Images

A24 ha anunciado un tándem de lujo para su próxima película. Austin Butler y Jeremy Allen White protagonizarán Enemies, del guionista y director Henry Dunham (The Standoff at Sparrow Creek).

En Enemies, Butler y Allen White serán un detective obsesivo y un asesino a sueldo (todavía no se sabe quién será quién) que chocan en un mortal juego del gato y el ratón.

Además, de acuerdo con Deadline, a ellos se suman Anna Sawai y Hidetoshi Nishijima.

El rodaje de la película comenzará este verano en Chicago con un presupuesto estimado de 25 millones de dólares, un monto generoso para los estándares habituales de A24.

Enemies se estrenará próximamente.

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The post Austin Butler y Jeremy Allen White se enfrentarán en ‘Enemies’, una película de A24. first appeared on mundoCine, un lugar para los cinéfilos.

Exclusive: Hidetoshi Nishijima, one of Japan’s top stars over the past decade, has inked with Artist International Group for management.

Nishijima broke out internationally with his lead role of theater director Yusuke Kafuku in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Cannes-premiering Japanese drama Drive My Car, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, walking away with the Oscar for Best International Feature. The actor’s work in the film earned him the National Society of Film Critics’ 2022 Best Actor prize, among other accolades.

Most recently, Nishijima signed on to star alongside Austin Butler, Jeremy Allen White and Anna Sawai in A24’s crime thriller Enemies, from writer-director Henry Dunham, which shoots in Chicago this summer. Last summer, he was seen starring alongside Rashida Jones in Sunny, Apple TV+’s half-hour dark comedy series from A24. He can also be seen starring in Takeshi Kitano’s Cannes-premiering historical epic, Kubi, as well as Tetsuya Mariko’s upcoming drama,...

Gold Derby's top news stories for May 15, 2025.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong cast as new slayer in Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew star Ryan Kiera Armstrong has been cast to star alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar in the upcoming revival of the iconic series, which has a pilot order at Hulu. The 15-year-old actress will play an introverted high school student who becomes this generation's slayer. The pilot will be directed by Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao and written by Poker Face's Nora and Lilla Zuckerman.

sarah michelle geller breaking the news to ryan kiera armstrong that she will be the next slayer pic.twitter.com/MuIQnlxVdu

— bearwiitch (@bearwiitch) May 15, 2025

Watch the trailer for HBO's Task from Mark Ruffalo and Mare of Easttown creator

Task, a crime drama coming to HBO and Max this fall, got its first teaser trailer, set to the wailing sounds of Guns 'n' Roses' "Patience.

After a seven-way bidding war, A24 has landed the crime drama Trigger Point. The upcoming series will be directed and executive produced by Jeremy Saulnier, who wowed audiences last year with his 2024 action thriller Rebel Ridge.

According to Deadline, plot details are being kept under wraps for Trigger Point, although sources state that the project will be a crime drama series. The spec script was written by Harrison Query, whose credits include the upcoming Paramount+ miniseries Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey and the action comedy Heads of State starring John Cena and Idris Elba. Trigger Point reportedly cost A24 around $500,000, making this one of this year's biggest TV spec sales so far. The current plan is to attach talent before taking the project out to platforms, with Deadline noting that several "big-name actors" have already expressed interest in starring.

Saulnier most recently wrote, directed, and produced Rebel Ridge, which...

Exclusive: Shōgun Emmy winner Anna Sawai and Drive My Car star Hidetoshi Nishijima are set to join the cast of the A24 crime pic Enemies, starring Austin Butler and Jeremy Allen White. Henry Dunham is writing and directing.

Cameras roll this summer in Chicago on the reported $25M production, in which a relentless detective and an infamous contract killer collide in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg are producing alongside A24. Alejandro De Leon also will produce. Josh Bachove executive produces.

Sawai took the town by storm last year following her star turn in Shōgun, winning a history-making Emmy, a SAG Award and a Golden Globe for her performance as Lady Mariko in the FX drama series.

Sawai is currently in production on (Saint) Peter, a coming-of-age dramedy executive produced by Peter Farrelly, and recently wrapped production on the second season...

Exclusive: Japan’s Toei Company has set family suspense drama Dear Stranger as its first English-language live-action feature and first international collaboration in decades.

Directed by Japan’s Tetsuya Mariko, the project is part of Toei’s global expansion growth as set out in its Toei New Wave plan in 2023. Executive produced by Nakajima Yasuhiko and Shozo Ichiyama, the film will open in Japan this autumn by Toei Company. The Jokers Films is on board as French distributor.

Shot entirely on location in New York City, the film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima from Oscar-winning Drive My Car and Apple TV+ series Sunny,...

Japan’s Toei Company has set family suspense drama Dear Stranger as its first English-language live-action feature and first international collaboration in decades.

Directed by Japan’s Tetsuya Mariko, the project is part of Toei’s global expansion growth as set out in its Toei New Wave plan in 2023. Executive produced by Nakajima Yasuhiko and Shozo Ichiyama, the film will open in Japan this autumn by Toei Company. The Jokers Films is on board as French distributor.

Shot entirely on location in New York City, the film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima from Oscar-winning Drive My Car and Apple TV+ series Sunny,...

Over the past few years, Apple TV+ has developed a reputation for its incredible sci-fi shows, leaving other streaming platforms behind. There are many people wondering whether Apple TV+ is worth the investment, since it doesn't have nearly as many subscribers as some of the other major streaming platforms, like Netflix and Amazon. For sci-fi fans, the answer to this conundrum is an unequivocal yes.

Many of Apple TV+'s best shows are in the sci-fi genre, showing a concerted effort from the streaming platform to develop the best and most interesting sci-fi shows on TV. This is one hook that the service has, as well as a raft of A-list talent and some top-quality original movies too. Apple TV+ has a variety of sci-fi shows to please all fans of the genre, from dark thrillers to more comedic shows.

Sunny Rashida Jones Stars In A Thrilling Mystery With An...

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2024 is over, and we have seen some brilliant and not-so-brilliant TV shows on streaming services and cable networks. However, the sci-fi fantasy genre TV shows are proving to be the biggest ones this year with the release of shows like Fallout and 3 Body Problem. The sci-fi fans are having a great year, and if TV shows weren’t enough, we also got Dune: Part Two this year, which was the most successful sci-fi fantasy film in 2024. So, let’s check out the best new and returning sci-fi fantasy shows that came out last year.

Silo Season 2 (Apple TV+ & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Apple TV+

Silo is a sci-fi dystopian drama series created by Graham Yost. Based on the Silo trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series continues the story of Juliette after...

The Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy series Sunny has been canceled after just one season, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger ending and concerns for the future of other streaming sci-fi shows. The ending of Sunny season 1 left several plot points open to exploration in season 2, including a shocking main character betrayal. As Apple TV+ has confirmed that viewers will not get a Sunny season 2, this continues a worrying trend for streaming channels. Sunny might be the latest canceled TV show that ended on a cliffhanger, but it is far from the first, with sci-fi shows often being affected.

FX on Hulu canceled Kindred after just one season, Prime Video's The Peripheral offered viewers hope when it was renewed for a second season before it, too, was canceled. It appears that The Oa's multidimensional cliffhanger ending will never be resolved after six years, and huge franchises are not immune to cancelation,...

A one-season sci-fi series has been cancelled by Apple TV+ despite its promising cliffhanger ending. For the past couple of months, there have been relatively few major renewals and cancellations. But with the year rushing to a close, streamers have also been in a sprint to announce some last-minute decisions.

Just this week, FX cancelled the Jeff Bridges action thriller series The Old Man, which did not quite capture the same attention as its buzzy first season after an extended break between episodes. Although it had long been presumed dead, after failing to make a splash with subscribers, Netflix made it official and axed Girls5eva after three seasons. It's not all bad news, with Hulu picking up Tell Me Lies for another run after the young adult adaption grew its audience. However, for one sci-fi standout, it's the end of the road.

Apple TV+ Has Cancelled Sunny After One...

In 2024, Apple TV+ introduced a new and successful sci-fi series in Sunny, yet the series was shockingly canceled and audiences want to know why. Sunny is a science fiction black comedy series that centers on Suzie, an American living in South Korea who is grieving the loss of her husband and son. As a result, she receives a domestic robot from the company her husband used to work for. Sunny stars Rashida Jones, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Joanna Sotomura. Sunny is based on a 2018 novel called The Dark Manual, written by Colin O'Sullivan.

Although Sunny might have gone under the radar in comparison to other popular TV shows of 2024, the show was particularly well-received by critics. It earned an impressive Certified Fresh 90% critic's score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 66% audience score. The biggest strength of Sunny seems to be its ability to take on dark topics while also putting a comedic spin on them.

You would think that with there being only a couple of weeks left until 2024 ends, the TV networks and streaming services would stop with all the cancellations. Nope! If anything, they're trying to quickly get them out so that they can start fresh in the new year. Sadly, Apple TV+ is the latest to announce one of its shows being canceled, and I'm sure many people aren't going to be happy about this one.

On Dec. 19, the streaming giant announced its decision to axe one of its beloved series, Sunny, after only one season. We learned of this unfortunate news from TVLine. However, we're not completely shocked by this because there had been a rumor swirling around that the sci-fi show had been canceled. It just hadn't been confirmed. Now, it looks like we got that confirmation.

While an official reason for its cancellation was not given, low viewership is...

Sunny is powering down for good: Apple TV+ has cancelled the sci-fi mystery starring Rashida Jones after just one season, TVLine has confirmed. (Screen Daily was the first to report the news.)

Sunny starred Jones as Suzie, an American living in Japan who is devastated after her husband and son disappear in a plane crash. To help with her grief, she’s given a chipper domestic robot named Sunny that was made by her husband’s electronics company — only Suzie hates robots. They do establish a bond, though, as Suzie searches for the truth about what really happened to her family.

Although mostly known in Japan for his eye-catching TV commercials for products such as Kirin Lemon, Hiroshi Ishikawa‘s cinematic endeavors could not be further away from the style he implemented in his TV work. Movies like “Su-Ki-Da”, “Petal Dance”, are all rather subtle, slow, distinctly art-house dramas revolving around women, and in general, competent enough to show that filmmakers from the particular background can actually come up with non-commercial style movies. His debut ,“Tokyo.sora” also falls under the same category.

Tokyo.sora is screening at Five Flavours

The story revolves around 6 young women, each one trying to make it in Tokyo on different levels. Their paths do not coincide in particular, with only one exception, which immediately highlights how this film is quite different from the majority of similar movies. The first one is a Chinese student living in Japan trying to learn the Japanese language while working...

Sunny, the Apple TV+ mystery thriller starring Rashida Jones, has been cancelled after one season, Screen has learned.

Sources close to the production confirmed that series, produced by A24, will not return following the 10-episode run that began in July and concluded with a cliffhanger on September 4. Screen has contacted Apple TV+ and A24 for comment.

The story starred Jones as Suzie Sakamoto, a US woman living in a futuristic Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic...

“The first version is the work of a talented amateur,” said Alfred Hitchcock to François Truffaut of his 1934 thriller “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” remade by Hitch himself in 1956. “The second was made by a professional.” Few are the filmmakers who gather sufficient career mileage and goodwill to take a second pass at their own work; fewer are those who make something worthwhile in the process. But Kiyoshi Kurosawa, not unlike Hitchcock, is the kind of tireless genre craftsman who seems to approach every feature as a test of his own proficiency: “Serpent’s Path,” a brisk, harsh and, yes, clinically professional update of his own 1998 thriller of the same title, passes said test without a moment’s strain.

There’s no urgent reason to remake “Serpent’s Path” except, one presumes, the primarily self-serving pleasures of doing so. The original, a cold-blooded little revenge tale that twists itself into ever more perverse psychological contortions,...

It took 13 puppeteers to bring AppleTV+’s titular robot “Sunny” to life.

Joanna Sotomura, the American performer who embodies the ominously helpful bot, flew to Tokyo where the series was filmed to meet the robotics team two weeks before filming began. “We had our robot dojo space. I would do the rehearsals and scenes as Joanna, and they would put tape on my stomach for Sunny’s eye line, and I’d be rigged in a helmet with a ring light. A monitor and camera tacked my facial expressions and projected to the robot in real-time,” says Sotomura.

“Sunny” follows Rashida Jones as Suzie Sakamoto, an American housewife living in Kyoto. The buddy mystery pairs Suzie with the title character, an intelligent “homebot” named Sunny that has been left to Suzie by her missing husband, Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima).

Speaking with Variety, Sotomura explained how she spent much of the two...

[The story contains mild spoilers from the season finale of Sunny.]

In less than five years of its existence, Apple TV+ has carved a niche out for itself as a home to evocative, well-made and interesting science fiction, and the streamer has delivered once more with Sunny, the dark Japan-set retrofuturist comedy that wrapped its first season this week.

Starring Rashida Jones, Sunny tells the story of Suzie Sakamoto, a taciturn American woman living in Kyoto, whose life is upended by tragedy after her husband Masahiko (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and son Zen (Fares Belkheir) disappear in a mysterious plane crash. Poleaxed by grief, Masahiko’s company sends Suzie a domestic robot named Sunny, with artificial intelligence attuned to her particular needs and feelings. As Suzie, reluctantly, begins to bond with Sunny, and eccentric new friend Mixxy (annie the clumsy), the great enigma surrounding the plane crash begins to unravel involving the yakuza and domestic Japanese politics.

As well as tackling weighty themes of grief,...

Spoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers for the entire first season of “Sunny,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

As a Japanese actor, Hidetoshi Nishijima often receives offers to play morally gray characters, such as samurais and yakuza members, who are defined by a particular profession and era. But then he was approached for the role of a roboticist whose mysterious disappearance leaves his wife (and the clever robotic companion he designed for her) at the center of a criminal conspiracy in “Sunny,” Apple TV+’s darkly comedic, sci-fi thriller that just wrapped up its first season. Nishijima — who starred in “Drive My Car,” the 2021 Japanese film that was nominated for best picture, and won the Academy Award for international feature — relished the opportunity to play an ordinary man who must wrestle with existential questions about what it means to be human.

“Of course, his profession is a big part of this project,...

This September, Max is bringing you a lot of entertainment with the highly anticipated DC action crime drama series The Penguin starring Colin Farrell and the new season of HBO’s great series My Brilliant Friend. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Max this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 5 best films coming to Max in September 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Boogie Nights (September 1)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Boogie Nights is a period drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The 1997 film revolves around Eddie Adams, a high school dropout who begins working as a porn star and achieves huge success but his new glamorous lifestyle goes to his head and he gets addicted to drugs. Boogie Nights stars Mark Wahlberg in the lead role with Burt Reynolds,...

It would be just like the creative team behind Sunny to use a question as the title of an episode. Lord knows the series has been nothing but one question after another.

While the endless inquiries have been aggravating, they have also been one of the series’ biggest draws.

Many science fiction shows will worry about losing audiences if they don’t spoon-feed viewers exposition. That’s certainly not the case with Sunny.

(Courtesy of Apple TV+)

The show wisely utilized so many secrets because now that we are approaching the end, all of the other shoes can drop.

It’s been a wild, wacky adventure, but this ride is ending. Sunny is finally answering some big questions as a parting gift.

And they are doing it with all the camp and comedy that an A24 series can deliver.

From The Good Wife to Elsbeth: Nine Actors Who Would Make Excellent Guest Stars,...

Before highlighting 40 films confirmed to be arriving in theaters this fall that you should have on your radar, we turn our attention to the festival-bound films either without distribution nor a confirmed fall release date. Looking over Venice, Toronto, the New York Film Festival, and other selections, we’ve rounded up 20 we can’t wait to see over the next few weeks.

Find our 20 most-anticipated festival premieres below and return for our reviews, as well as news if some of these hit theaters this fall.

2073 (Asif Kapadia; Venice)

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia returns with what appears to be his most ambitious feature yet. Billed as a documentary thriller set in a dystopia 50 years into the future, 2073 borrows inspiration from Chris Marker’s La Jetée, in which a time-traveler attempted to save humanity after an apocalyptic World War III. The Oscar-winning director, primarily known for capturing intimate portraits of sports...

Everyone knows Apple TV+ for Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and Severance. There have been a few other popular TV shows sprinkled in over the last few years. Presumed Innocent starring Jake Gyllenhaal had some good buzz recently. Despite Apple TV+’s substantial investment into the TV business, it’s still looking for mainstream hits.

And, let me be clear. I am a fan of Apple TV+. I appreciate how many TV shows with huge stars the streamer is cranking out these days, but it’s just so odd that almost no one is talking about these great shows!

I put together a list of the four most underrated shows on Apple TV+ that you need to watch right now!

Pachinko

Pachinko is based on the book of the same name by Min Jin Lee, and it was developed for Apple TV+ by Soo Hugh. Kogonada and Justin Chon directed...

In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo bonds with bots while discussing “Sunny.” The Apple TV+ series follows Suzie, an American woman in future Japan, and Sunny, a domestic robot, as they uncover the dark truth behind her husband and son’s recent mysterious plane crash disappearance. The show stars Rashida Jones, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and more.

Continue reading ‘Sunny’: Rashida Jones Talks Her Retro-Futuristic Sci-Fi Drama, A Potential ‘Parks & Recreation’ Reunion & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

At long last, we now have at least one festival premiere set for one of our most-anticipated films of the year. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent’s Path, a remake of his superb, bad-vibes 1998 thriller that stars Damien Bonnard, Mathieu Amalric, Ko Shibasaki, and Drive My Car‘s Hidetoshi Nishijima, is now set for a premiere as part of San Sebastián Film Festival’s Official Selection.

Taking place September 20-28, the lineup also features the latest from Edward Berger, Gia Coppola, Costa-Gavras, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Mike Leigh, Diego Lerman, Joshua Oppenheimer, and François Ozon. While we could see Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent’s Path pop up at other fall fests, it’s exciting to know it’s finally seeing the light of day.

Check out the full lineup below.

Bound In Heaven

Xin Huo (China)

Country(ies) of production: China

Cast: Ni Ni, You Zhou

This film narrates the poignant tale of a...

A24's Sunny is a successful sci-fi thriller and dark comedy that balances multiple genres as it explores grief and loss. A24's recent TV shows, like Sunny, continue the trend of certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes scores. From Euphoria to Beef, A24 has cemented its place in the television industry too.

Sunny, Apple TV+ latest sci-fi thriller, continues an impressive Rotten Tomatoes trend for beloved entertainment company A24. Founded in 2012 by film vets Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, the independent production and distribution banner is perhaps the most well-known for its films. Bolstered by genre-spanning hits, like Alex Garland's sci-fi psychological thriller Ex Machina and Robert Eggers' folk horror film The Witch, A24 helped renew mainstream movie-goers' interest in indie and arthouse-style films. Since then, the company has backed projects with cult-like followings as well as groundbreaking Oscar winners.

For many cinephiles, A24 has become synonymous with quality no matter the genre.

The timing of Apple TV+’s recently launched sci-fi drama series Sunny was doubly fortuitous.

The show stars Rashida Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As a “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of seemingly sentient domestic robots made by her late husband’s electronics company.

Produced by A24 and shot on location, the show had the good luck of going into production in 2022 when Japan’s borders were still mostly closed to tourists due to the pandemic, allowing for unprecedented shooting access to Kyoto’s evocative but usually thronged historic streets. And just as production was winding down, the world’s imagination became transfixed by a powerful new tool — Chat GPT4 — lending the show’s themes of AI’s promise and peril an all-new urgency.

As Sunny begins,...

Today, Apple TV+ premiered the third episode of its delightfully unique series, Sunny, which will continue airing weekly until September 4, 2024. The episode continues the show's expanding mystery surrounding Susie (Rashida Jones), a widow who is realizing her husband was a very different man than she previously thought. Her revelations are assisted by a gift from her late husband a sweet robot named Sunny that was programmed specifically by him to be there for Susie. Like several shows on Apple TV+, it's a little difficult to describe Sunny. Japanese or American? Comedy or thriller? Sci-fi or drama?

"Yeah, it's a lot of things," explained star Rashida Jones. "It's like a dark, humorous fairy tale set in near-future Japan, about a woman dealing with loss and grief and contending with a robot that is kind of like thrusted onto her, that she ends up forging a friendship with, or depending on, to...

Even as the multi-tasking talent at the center of a dizzying genre blend, Rashida Jones has perspective.

In Apple TV+’s “Sunny,” the beloved “Parks & Rec” actor executive produces and stars as Suzie, a spit-fire American ex-pat suddenly living and grieving alone in a futuristic version of Japan. The series’ first two episodes, which started streaming Wednesday July 10 (new installments release weekly through September 4), introduce an investigation into a mysterious plane crash that forces Suzie to grapple with the shocking disappearance of both her young song and husband, Masa.

Created by Katie Robbins, this darkly funny sci-fi thriller simultaneously explores the shadowy innerworkings of a tech company where Suzie’s late spouse used to work. That plot casts our smart-mouthed outsider — who for better or worse hates robots — opposite an adorable, artificially intelligent home companion designed specifically for her by Masa. Part grief counselor, part detective sidekick, and one big question mark for Suzie,...

Streaming on: Apple TV+

Episodes viewed: 10 of 10

There's nothing more human than grief, that searing loss which carves out your insides until there's nothing left but a void where your heart used to be. Yet there's something quite robotic about the numbness that hits first, and it's between these two extremes where a new Apple TV+ show explores what it actually means to be human.

This is a show that wants to be a lot of things all at once, multitasking like the robot that lends the series its name, and for the most part, it works very well. Across ten 30-minute episodes, creator Katie Robbins (The Affair) navigates big reveals, pithy put-downs, intriguing cold opens and yakuza antics with humour and pathos, all set in a semi-futuristic yet still recognisable Japan. It's a lot, granted, but a game cast ground this robot-filled world with much humanity, including Sunny herself...

Sunny is a dark sci-fi comedy series created by Katie Robbins. Based on the 2018 novel titled The Dark Manual by author Colin O’Sullivan, the Apple TV+ series follows the story of Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan as her husband and son suddenly disappear in a plane crash. Soon after she is given a domestic robot by the robotic company her husband worked at. Then, Suzie finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery surrounding her husband’s death. Sunny stars Rashida Jones in the lead role with Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, annie the clumsy, and Judy Ongg starring in supporting roles. So, if you love the dark tone, goofy comedy, and neon visuals in Sunny, here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Devs (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX

Devs is a sci-fi mystery thriller series created, written, and directed by Alex Garland. The FX...

Get ready for an unusual dark sci-fi comedy and mystery thriller from Apple TV+ in its latest series, Sunny. Created by Katie Robbins, the Apple TV+ series is an A24 production, and it is based on the 2018 novel titled The Dark Manual by Irish author Colin O’Sullivan. Sunny hooks viewers from the get-go with its incredible visuals and a dark yet comedic tone.

Sunny is set in Kyoto, Japan, and it follows the story of an American woman whose Japanese husband and son suddenly disappear in a plane crash. Sometime later, she is given a domestic robot by her husband’s robotics company, which was apparently created by her late husband. So, if you love Sunny’s dark tone, goofy comedy, and neon visuals, here are all the release dates for its upcoming episodes.

Sunny – Episode Guide (When Will the New Episodes Come Out?) Credit – Apple TV+

Sunny consists of ten episodes in total.

Sunny, starring Rashida Jones, receives high critical and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, outperforming other Apple TV+ sci-fi shows. The show follows an American woman in Japan grappling with loss, forming an unexpected bond with a domestic robot, Sunny. Sunny has some pacing issues, but critics praised Jones' performance and the intriguing mix of sci-fi and comedy.

Sunny, the new sci-fi comedy from A24, boasts the best score for a genre that Apple TV+ has become known for. Although it doesn't have the extensive catalog of Netflix or the enviable library of the Max streaming service, Apple TV+ has shown a particular affinity for science fiction shows that are headlined by some very recognizable actors. It continues down that path with the A24-produced ten-episode Sunny, starring Emmy-nominated Parks and Recreation actor Rashida Jones, who is returning to Apple TV+ after a pivotal recurring role in the breakout hit Silo.

In Apple TV+’s offbeat sci-fi dramedy Sunny, Rashida Jones plays a grieving woman who’s been drained of her will to live — but maybe a friendly robot can help her recharge.

The Parks and Rec vet stars as Suzie, an American living in Kyoto, Japan and coping with the recent disappearance of her husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and their son after a plane crash. When we meet Suzie, she’s in a daze of grief, answering questions about what her husband and son were wearing when they left for their flight. She’s not in the mood, though: “You have DNA.

To celebrate the release of Sunny, the new series streaming on Apple TV+, we had the pleasure of chatting with the cast and crew for this unique and moving new show.

Sunny is the ten-episode mystery thriller with a darkly comic bent, will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 10, followed by one new episode weekly through September 4 exclusively on Apple TV+. “Sunny” stars Emmy Award nominee, multi-hyphenate Rashida Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. Though at first, Suzie resents Sunny’s attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship. Together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to...

Grief is messy. While reeling from the loss of a loved one, life rudely refuses to press pause — there’s only so long the stricken can take a break before getting back to work or keeping up with our demanding yet mundane routines. But recovery doesn’t care about convenience. It doesn’t fit nicely in our predetermined schedules. It simmers, stews, and sours. During that arduous overlap where our unavoidable internal anguish clashes with the requisite external composure, chaos can erupt. People might quit their jobs, leave their partners, and/or move across the country. And their motivation, whether productive or pointless, isn’t always easy to track.

But unlike real life, stories about grief cannot be messy. The characters within can be sloppy, sure, but their narrative needs to be focused — picking up the pieces of a psyche shattered by sorrow and cobbling them into something meaningful, something affecting,...

Suzie Sakamoto is struggling with loss. The American expatriate has called Kyoto home for over a decade, but after the mysterious deaths of her husband Masa and young son Zen in an apparent plane crash, she finds herself adrift.

Looking for answers, and with little left to ground her, Suzie turns to an unexpected source: Sunny, an advanced home robot gifted to her by Masa’s colleague from his work in robotics. As Suzie grows closer to Sunny, she discovers her late husband kept far more secrets than she ever realized.

This is the premise of the Apple TV+ series Sunny, created by Katie Robbins. The 10-episode, one-hour drama explores mystery and grief through the lens of robotics and modern Japan. Rashida Jones stars as Suzie, alongside Hidetoshi Nishijima as Masa in flashbacks. As Suzie investigates with Sunny’s aid, her understanding of her husband and life in Kyoto is turned upside down,...

Sunny's darkly comical sci-fi drama is driven by gripping mysteries and talented performances. Rashida Jones leads an intriguing cast in Apple TV+'s futuristic Japan-based show, adding cultural depth. The show's character beats and sci-fi drama come to life through a diverse cast, immersing viewers.

Apple TV+'s Sunny's darkly comical sci-fi drama is not only driven by its gripping overarching mysteries but also by the powerful performances of its talented cast members. Based on Colin OSullivan's The Dark Manual, Sunny is another intriguing addition to Apple TV+'s massive repertoire of sci-fi shows. The show features Rashida Jones as its leading character, who was previously also a part of Apple TV+'s Silo's roster.

Since Sunny primarily unfolds in a futuristic Japan, the show also stars several renowned Japanese actors, many of whom are known for their work in both Japanese and international cinema. This diversity in the show's...

Say this for Apple TV+’s originals: They tend to look great, and Sunny, its latest sci-fi dramedy, is no exception. Its Kyoto setting is replete with plush jewel tones and tasteful woods. Its characters are chic in Uniqlo-by-way-of-Her separates. Its robots are rendered in friendly bulbous figures and bright emoji-like expressions. A cool ’60s soundtrack completes the vaguely retro vibe.

But not all of the platform’s offerings feel as rich narratively as they look visually — and unfortunately, that’s true of Sunny too. It’s not a bad time, per se; a twisty mystery, a colorful ensemble and the occasional stylistic big swing keep its ten 30ish-minute episodes moving painlessly enough. It’s just a vaguely disappointing one, better at suggesting emotional and thematic depths than plumbing them.

Sunny‘s lonely heroine is Suzie (Rashida Jones), who begins the series drowning in grief over the loss of her husband,...

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Japanese icons Judy Ongg and Jun Kunimura spoke with MovieWeb's Matt Mahler about joining Apple TV+'s Western production of Sunny, a sci-fi mystery comedy with Rashida Jones and Hidetoshi Nishijima. They discussed working with a robot, the specifically Japanese themes of the show, and Jun Kunimora having his head cut off in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Sunny, the highly anticipated, ten-episode series, will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 10, followed by one new episode weekly through September 4 exclusively on Apple TV+.

Sunny stars Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As consolation shes given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husbands electronics company. Though at first, Suzie resents Sunnys attempts to fill the void in her life,...

Are we on the verge of Hot TV Robot Summer?

This week on HBO, Julio Torres’ delightfully, defiantly weird comedy Fantasmas is finishing up its first season, and one of the main characters is Bibo, a helpful yet pushy household robot whose secret desire is to become an actor. Now comes Apple TV’s Sunny, where the chipper but potentially troublesome robot is the title character, and core focus of the plot. One more, and it’s officially a trend!

Adapted by Katie Robbins (The Affair) from Colin O’Sullivan’s book The Dark Manual,...

Companionship comes in many forms. What soothes one person could feel foreign to another, with people, pets, and inanimate objects bringing joy and solace to those affected by various traumas. When Suzie (Rashida Jones), a woman living in Japan, inherits Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), a domestic robot made by her husband’s company, they uncover dark truths about what happened to Suzie’s husband and son, trapping them in a spiral of violence, secrecy, and a war for power. I mean this sincerely: Sunny is my favorite TV series of 2024 so far. So, you can imagine my excitement when I was allowed to speak with members of the cast and creative team: Rashida Jones, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Annie the Clumsy, Judy Ongg, Jun Kunimura, Sunny creator Katie Robbins, and director Lucy Tcherniak.

During our discussions, Rashida and Hidetoshi reveal the secrets of their incredible on-screen chemistry, acting alongside a robot...

On shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” the great strength of Rashida Jones has been her plainspoken relatability. Despite her glamorous lineage as the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton, Jones blends in with ensembles built for everyday quirks rather than large-scale gestures; on those NBC sitcoms, for example, her unfussy delivery style enhanced both the reality and the comedy of her scenes.

Jones tested herself a bit more as a leading lady in the Sofia Coppola movie “On the Rocks,” but her lower-key take on gilded-cage ennui wound up a comfortable fit for what was itself a lower-key Coppola picture of more modest moods and less spiritual distress. In the new Apple TV+ series “Sunny,” however, Jones must access a greater range of emotions — even when they’re supposed to be partially concealed. As Suzie, a woman living in near-future Japan whose husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima...

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The magnetic performers Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car) joined MovieWeb's Matt Mahler for a discussion about their new Apple TV+ series, Sunny. They touched on their characters, Nishijima's English-language debut, and the show's themes of loneliness and technology.

The highly anticipated, darkly comedic sci-fi mystery show Sunny will premiere globally with the first two of 10 episodes on Wednesday, July 10, followed by one new episode weekly through September 4 exclusively on Apple TV+.

Sunny stars Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As consolation shes given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husbands electronics company. Though at first, Suzie resents Sunnys attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship.