IF - Everything You Need To Know
John Krasinski has come a long way since he started making funny faces at the camera in "The Office." Since the beloved sitcom came to an end in 2013, Krasinski has become an unexpected jack of all trades with a democratic approach to genres. Behind the camera, Krasinski has directed literary adaptations, dysfunctional family dramedies, and of course, horror with "A Quiet Place" and "A Quiet Place Part II." And in front of the camera, he's adopted his most-known character since Jim Halpert as the title character in the political thriller "Jack Ryan."
Now Krasinksi looks to be tackling another genre for his forthcoming film "IF." The family-friendly feature is said to contain elements of fantasy and comedy and marks the first kid-centric directorial effort for the father of two.
Krasinski may have graduated to blockbusters and coveted producer status, but he hasn't forgotten his Hollywood roots. In that spirit, "IF" will reunite Krasinski with his "Office" co-star Steve Carell. Here's everything else there is to know about "IF."
When will IF be released?
In Fall 2019, "IF" was at the center of a heated bidding war between Paramount Pictures, Sony, and Lionsgate, among others. Paramount eventually won out, and in January 2022, Deadline reported that "IF" was scheduled for release on November 17, 2023, just in time for Thanksgiving.
That said, studio releases are fickle, and Paramount reneged on the film's Thanksgiving weekend release date. In July 2022, Paramount announced adjustments to its release calendar, pushing the "IF" premiere date to May 24, 2024. "IF" may not have secured Turkey Day crowds, but it will reap the benefits of a holiday weekend audience nonetheless, as the new date is the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend.
"IF" isn't the only Krasinski project to feel the burn of Paramount's adjusted calendar. The studio — which is behind "A Quiet Place" and its sequel — announced that the Michael Sarnoski-directed prequel"A Quiet Place: Day One" would be delayed from September 22, 2023, to March 8, 2024. Krasinski serves as a producer on the project.
What is the plot of IF?
John Krasinksi penned the "IF" premise and script, wishing to craft a film about a child's imagination. The film's original title — "Imaginary Friends" — offers more insight into the upcoming movie's plot. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film's logline from 2019 describes "IF" as "the tale of a man who can see and talk to people's imaginary friends, befriending those that have been forgotten or discarded. However, some imaginary friends, lacking love and friendship, turn to the dark side, and it's up to [Ryan] Reynolds' character to save the world from those that become evil."
As more details emerge about "IF," the producers have kept plot details close to the chest, indicating that the above logline — much like the film's title — may have been subject to change. It's also possible that Ryan Reynolds' character has changed as well, though the actor is still confirmed to star in "IF." In September 2022, Just Jared published photos of Krasinski, Reynolds, and Cailey Fleming shooting on location in Coney Island.
Who is starring in IF?
John Krasinski has pulled together an impressive ensemble cast for "IF," though there is no word on character descriptions or which actors have been relegated to live-action versus voice roles. Based on the aforementioned behind-the-scenes photos, we can assume that Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming will play live-action characters. Fleming is known for her work in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" as Young Rey, as well as "The Walking Dead" and an episode of "Loki."
Other cast members include Steve Carell, Louis Gossett Jr., Bobby Moynihan, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Fiona Shaw, the latter two of whom previously collaborated in "Fleabag." Alan Kim, known for his star-making turn in "Minari," joins Fleming as another of the film's youngsters. Krasinski will appear in "IF" as well.
In January 2022, Krasinski took to Instagram to praise his preliminary cast members. "Ah, what if one day I could assemble my dream cast?" he wrote. "What... IF."
Who is directing IF?
"IF" will be John Krasinski's fifth feature as a director and his fifth screenplay. The actor got his start directing thanks to his "Office" co-star Rainn Wilson, who encouraged him to helm "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" in 2009. He also directed a few episodes of "The Office" and the family dramedy "The Hollars" before helming his breakout hit "A Quiet Place" in 2018, followed by the 2020 sequel.
"IF" marks Krasinski's first family film as a director, but fans of "A Quiet Place" know that the actor-slash-director has taken a shine to working with kids on set. He's also lent his voice to family-friendly fare, including "Monsters University," "Animal Crackers," and "DC League of Super-Pets."
There's plenty of other talent behind the camera as well. A 2022 Instagram post from Krasinski revealed that Janusz Kamiński is acting as the film's director of photography. Kamiński is best known for his work with Steven Spielberg. The pair began working together in 1993 on "Schindler's List" and have since collaborated on nearly twenty projects, the most recent of which was "The Fabelmans." He's also worked with Cameron Crowe, James L. Brooks, and Judd Apatow.