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.
READ MORE: ‘Sunny’ Review: Ambitious, Creative Sci-fi Dramedy Defies Expectations
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the ambitious sci-fi mystery series is executive producer and star Rashida Jones. During the interview, Jones discussed jumping on board the project late in the process but being thrilled by the wealth of material showrunner Katie Robbins had compiled to visualize the series.
“The scripts were very far along. There was a beautiful [visual] deck, a playlist of mood music,” Jones said. “It’s really nice to be able to jump in as an actor when somebody’s been this thoughtful about a project already. So there was already a huge head start. I could see what the show would be and could be, and it was really nice to get involved with something like that and then try to help execute the thing that’s already been so well realized.”
Jones has a tremendous amount of experience in all aspects of creating a television show, which is why she signed on to “Sunny” as an executive producer, allowing her to assist in all parts, but especially in the post-production process.
“I do find, as a producer and a writer, you have to continuously calibrate tone throughout the writing process, the filming process, the post process, because you can lose your grip on it very quickly,” Jones shared. “And because this tone is an extremely distinct bullseye. It’s a dark comedy. There are a lot of very tough subjects, and you can’t undermine the reality of it and the gravity of it with comedy. It has to feel like it’s all of one piece. So that to me — constantly calibrating with musical cues, with editing, with the pacing of the show, with the takes that we use, how comic do you let an actor be in the take – that calibration process is interesting to me. Hopefully, I could help on that front.”
Jones is perhaps best known for her role as Ann Perkins in the much-beloved comedy series, “Parks and Recreation.” While the show has always had its loyal followers, it has only grown in popularity among streamers like Netflix and Peacock, leading many to wonder if a reunion might be possible. When considering the idea, Jones did not seem opposed at all, as the cast keeps in close contact to this day.
“We’re all still friends. We have a text chain. We talk all the time. We actually all really love each other,” Jones said. “So, if there was a reason and a way that we would come back together, great! Doing it for the sake of doing it because nobody has any new ideas? That I don’t want to do necessarily. But yeah, I think we’re all so down if the moment’s right and the reason is right, for sure.”
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However, fans of Jones’ Karen character from “The Office” shouldn’t be as hopeful that she’ll return to the upcoming spin-off, “The Paper.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think I’m randomly showing up, but I’m very much looking forward to it,” Jones said. “It sounds like a great cast. And Greg Daniels is an absolute comedy beast. He’s so good at casting and creating those worlds. I cannot wait to see what it’s like.”
While Jones has been a part of two of the biggest TV series in recent memory, she’s never been one to pursue prominent film franchise roles. During the interview, she explained why franchise filmmaking isn’t for her.
“[Blockbusters] are not for me,” Jones said. “I think I like the idea of just seeing if I can surprise myself with just being challenged anew, whether it’s writing or acting or producing or directing. I don’t want to get stuck in one place, and I think the issue with blockbusters is that’s the thing you’re known for forever. And that’s great. I know so many people love that, and they ride so hard for these big franchises and no disrespect at all over there. Still, for me, I think I like kind of slinking along in the dead of night just trying to find new cool things to do in my career that don’t necessarily become the thing that I’m known for, you know?”
That’s not to say that Jones isn’t interested in bigger films. She will be starring in “In the Blink of An Eye” from writer/director Andrew Stanton (“WALL-E,” “Finding Nemo,” “John Carter”), which she signed onto because of its lofty ambitions.
“It’s a big, large-scope movie. A big swing movie just casually about the evolution of humanity that takes place over 20,000 years,” Jones teased. “It was really fun to work with Andrew [Stanton]. Daveed Diggs, who plays my husband, and I get to span a lifetime essentially—like an adult lifetime in the movie, which I’ve never gotten to do before. It’s sort of like a sci-fi-tone poem in a way, but the universal theme is sort of like how evolution even happens when there are either outside threats or misunderstandings in relationships. So much feels so tenuous when you’re in it, and then you look back, and there’s all this stuff that feels so destined.”
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The Playlist Presents – Rashida Jones’ Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:
1.) “Dave” (2020-Present) – Hulu Series Created By Dave Burd & Jeff Schaffer
2.) “Ren Faire” (1997-2003) – HBO Docu-series By Lance Oppenheim
3.) “Lost in Translation” (2003) – Directed By Sofia Coppola
4.) “The White Lotus” (2021-Present) – HBO Series Created By Mike White
“Sunny” is currently airing new episodes each week on Apple TV+. Listen to the full interview below: