John Krasinski doesn’t usually care about reviews. But when it comes to his new film, IF, he fears the reaction from his two daughters, ages 7 and 10.
“I’ve never been more worried about two reviews in my life,” Krasinski told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “It’s really scary. I hope it goes well.”
“IF,” about a young girl (Cailey Fleming) and her neighbor (Ryan Reynolds) who can see imaginary friends in everyone, including marginalized people, will be released on May 17th. One of this summer’s major studio releases. This is one of the few original ideas for a brand or franchise that has the backing of a major studio, Paramount, and an ambitious scale and scope. Shot primarily in New York by Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, the cast includes celebrities including Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Maya Rudolph, and the late Louis Gossett Jr. The voices of many celebrities are performed, and live-action and animation are fused. .
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The idea to make a movie about imaginary friends began and developed with actor Emily Blunt (who also voices the character) and his children. At first, it just seemed like a fun, family-friendly idea.
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Ryan Reynolds (left) and director John Krasinski on the set of IF. (Johnny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures, via AP)
“My kids are very imaginative,” Krasinski said. “I always said to Emily, ‘I wish I could just go with them for a little bit wherever they go.'”
Paramount agreed and in October 2019 signed a deal with Krasinski and Reynolds’ Maximum Effort to help produce and distribute the film. Then the pandemic hit, and like many parents of young children, he saw his daughters’ world change dramatically.
“They started asking questions like, ‘Are you okay?’ and ‘What’s going on?’ I was so panicked that I said, ‘Oh my god, we have to do something about this.’ . “That’s when I had the idea to make this movie about something a little more, a little deeper than just imaginary friends.”
When he begins to investigate the psychology behind his imaginary friends, he begins to understand that they are more than just whimsical creations. In fact, they were coping mechanisms to “metabolize” everyday life, such as bullying at school, divorce at home, the projection of dreams and ambitions, or any stressors that invade the young mind. He now understood it as a sacred place.
“When I realized we were dealing with something high-level, something very imaginative and combustible, I thought this was really, really exciting,” he said. “We knew we were trying to do something special, so we wanted to take it as seriously as possible.”
Embody and direct your imagination
Krasinski cast 15-year-old Cailey Fleming (now 17), an actor known to Walking Dead fans as Judith Grimes, to play the girl Bea. She had just finished Season 11 of the show, and as she was preparing to take a break and return to high school, she received a call from Krasinski asking her to audition.
“I’ve never played a lead role in a movie,” Fleming said. “I was very nervous, but I couldn’t have asked for a better cast and crew.”
With most of the characters added on set in post-production, Krasinski took pains to make sure they weren’t just acting out tennis balls as stand-ins. Sometimes he had a doll or a photo or even a friend who would become Carell’s character Blue. He would also sometimes jump in and play himself (in addition to directing and playing Bea’s father).
“Kayley is Meryl Streep level. She could have acted with a hot dog on a stick,” Krasinski said. “I’ve been there, I’ve acted with tennis balls. I’m trying to create a world where everyone feels safe and excited, but also where their imaginations can take over. Only.
“My job as a director is to try to make every day feel like I’m doing a play rather than a movie, make it feel intimate, make it feel like it’s just for today,” he added.
Many of the star voice actors are people Krasinski considers friends. Although he wasn’t sure how they would react to his idea, he said he got some of the quickest “yes” responses of his career, regardless of whether he had kids or not. Ta.
“This is the story of this little girl, but adults are asking when she gave up on her imaginary friends, her imagination, and her dreams,” he said. “The beauty of this movie is that it shows you that you can just turn around and go back at any time.”
A friend of his recently said the word “IF” reminded him of the popular web series “Some Good News,” which Krasinski started during the pandemic. Like “Some Good News,” “IF” hopes to bring a little joy to people.
Give up on a “quiet place”
Taking on “IF” also meant passing the torch to the new “A Quiet Place” prequel. “A Quiet Place” helped establish Krasinski as a filmmaking powerhouse, and its sequel was an early and important boon for movie theaters struggling during the pandemic. But between “IF” and the “Jack Ryan” show, something had to give.
He created a story about the first day of the invasion in New York City and asked “Pig” filmmaker Michael Sarnosky if he would be interested.
“(John) really helped me early on. After that, he let me run free and explore things,” Sarnoski said. “He came to the first day of filming and symbolically handed me the baton. He said, ‘Hey, this is a Michael Sarnosky movie. Make this your own.’ I was really lucky.”
Far from being bittersweet, Krasinski said, “It’s exciting and an honor to create a sandbox that anyone can play in.” Another summer blockbuster, A Quiet Place: Day One, will be released in theaters on June 28th.
Both films were produced in partnership with Paramount, a studio that believed in and supported his vision.
“I think as ‘IF’ became more emotional and had more backbone, they leaned in more. Some studios said, ‘Oh, no, we want the funnier version.’ “I guess so,” Krasinski said. “I think it’s because “A Quiet Place” had the same backbone, the same emotional drive. They just said, “Do what’s in your head.”
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Krasinski just put the finishing touches on “IF.” That means his daughters will be seeing it soon. They are reportedly planning a “little family premiere.”
“We’re all going to dress up,” he said. “Basically, we’re going to pretend it’s their own special premiere. Don’t tell them it’s not real.”
