Jake Johnson is vowing that there is no new unexpected ending to “New Girl.”
The heartwarming finale that saw Johnson’s Nick end up with Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, would still stand if there was ever a reunion or revival, Johnson said during a 2023 SXSW panel. The “Self Reliance” director noted that Nick and Jess would not break up since fans last saw the characters in 2018.
“I think they would definitely make it work. I don’t think they would break up,” Johnson said. “They have a kid, they’re jumping around on that bed, you guys know it way more than me. I don’t think Nick or Jess would ever fall out of the commitment to do this thing together.”
He continued, “Liz Merriweather has created a very optimistic show, it’s people who are sweet to each other. So if it’s real and they’re alive, they’re all still together. They’re just a little fatter, besides Schmidt, the hair is a little thinner besides Schmidt…If we did a reunion, Schmidt needs to be in a toupee.”
Schmidt was portrayed by Max Greenfield on the FOX sitcom that co-starred Lamorne Morris and Hannah Simone. The series was nominated for five Emmy Awards between 2011 and 2018, and was streaming on Netflix from 2013 to 2023. “New Girl” will be moving to Hulu and Peacock starting April 17.
Johnson elsewhere in his SXSW keynote discussion Monday said that he was thrilled and surprised to see that new generations of audiences have discovered “New Girl” on streaming well after it aired, mentioning that while loads of people watched the show’s pilot and followed it for its first two seasons, many audiences fell off as it continued. Yet Johnson pointed out that viewers who are only age 19 are responding even stronger to a show that’s now been off the air for five years.
But he also joked that part of the reason he wanted to make his directorial debut “Self Reliance,” a movie rather than a show, is because he wanted to truly engage audiences rather than have it just be something they watch and consume in the background.
“‘Hey, I love “New Girl,” I go, ‘Thanks,’” Johnson said of interacting with fans. “‘Yeah, it’s the best, I can do my laundry, I have you on in the background,’” he sarcastically added of audiences describing binging the series in the background. “‘You’re just a voice in our house in the background, always.’ ‘Thanks, nice to see you guys.’”
While Jess and Nick are a beloved rom-com couple that have gotten a happy ending, they’re apparently one of the few.
“The Devil Wears Prada” screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna revealed that if the film were to have a follow-up, Anne Hathaway’s iconic character Andy Sachs would “definitely not” still be dating Adrian Grenier’s unsupportive chef Nate.
“Andy and Nate are definitely not together,” Brosh McKenna said earlier this year. “That much I can tell you.”
The “Your Place or Mine” director noted that the “27 Dresses” couple portrayed by James Marsden and Katherine Heigl would most likely go their separate ways as well.
“I, controversially, am not sure that Jane and Kevin from ’27 Dresses’ are still married. Just a thought,” she told Variety. “I mean, there was a lot of romantic idealization — I don’t really feel like they got the chance to know each other. That was a big ass wedding. I’m concerned.”
Reporting by Brian Welk.
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