‘Most personal movie I’ll ever make’: Actor-director John Krasinski’s IF is for his kids
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
(From left) Ryan Reynolds, Louis Gossett Jr voicing teddy bear Lewis and Cailey Fleming in IF.
PHOTO: UIP
NEW YORK – The live-action and animated fantasy comedy IF follows a grieving 12-year-old girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming), who suddenly discovers that children’s imaginary friends are real, but are left behind as kids grow up.
Starring Ryan Reynolds as Bea’s neighbour, who can also see these forgotten IFs (imaginary friends), the movie is directed by American actor and film-maker John Krasinski, who also plays Bea’s father.
It is showing in Singapore cinemas and took the top spot at the North American box office after it debuted there on May 17, earning US$35 million (S$47 million) in its first weekend.
Krasinski, 44, says IF is a deeply personal film that he made for the two daughters – Hazel, 10, and Violet, seven – whom he shares with his wife, English actress Emily Blunt, 41.
At the recent New York premiere of the film – which also features the voices of Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper and Matt Damon as different IFs – Krasinski says: “This is by far the most personal movie I have made or will ever make.
“I made it for my kids, I made it about hope, I made it about dreams.
“I made it about that decision you make where you go: ‘I have to give up childhood and become an adult and go into real life.’
“And this movie is all about, ‘No, you don’t have to – you can do both’,” says Krasinski, who starred in the American version of sitcom The Office (2005 to 2013) before going on to direct the acclaimed horror movie A Quiet Place (2018) and its 2020 sequel.
He is also known for playing the title character in the thriller series Jack Ryan (2018 to 2023).
(From left) Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski on the set of IF.
PHOTO: UIP
“This is an extremely emotional moment for me because this is everything I am as a father, a husband and just as a human being.”
And the story will resonate with both children and grown-ups, he adds. “I would say to adults: I hope you have tissues. And kids, I hope you have some popcorn and plenty of candy.”
He also tipped his hat to Reynolds, the 47-year-old Canadian-American star of the Deadpool superhero films (2016 to present) and comedies such as Free Guy (2021) and The Proposal (2009).
“I got to be friends with him years ago and I got to see not only this incredibly funny guy, but also a dad, a husband and a friend,” Krasinski says of the actor, who is married to American actress Blake Lively, 36, and has four children aged one to nine.
“I thought if I could bottle one fraction of what I get to see as his friend, we’d have something special, and he gave me way more than I was expecting.
“And I think it’s one of the best performances not only by him but by anybody – it’s so beautiful and nuanced,” Krasinski says.
Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming in IF.
PHOTO: UIP
Reynolds says he loved every minute of making IF with Krasinski, with whom this was his first time working.
“John and I have been friends for years, so working together was a natural extension of that. It was really fun.
“Our kids are good friends and they play (together) all the time, so I loved every second of it,” adds Reynolds, who stars in the Emmy-winning Welcome To Wrexham (2022 to present), a documentary series about the Welsh soccer team he co-owns.
American writer-director John Krasinski (left) and Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of IF in New York City on May 13.
PHOTO: AFP
He also enjoyed working with the rest of the cast, including Fleming, a 17-year-old American actress who appeared as the daughter of protagonist Rick Grimes in horror series The Walking Dead and played a young Rey in sci-fi blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
“I’m always excited to work with other actors because I just learn so much. And I learnt so much from Cailey. You learn a lot from younger actors because they have no affectation – they’re sort of new and honest and great. So I loved it,” Reynolds says.
Spaceman (George Clooney), Gummy Bear (Amy Schumer), Unicorn (Emily Blunt), Blue (Steve Carell), Flower (Matt Damon), Bea (Cailey Fleming), Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Art Teacher (Richard Jenkins) and Ally (Maya Rudolph) in IF.
PHOTO: UIP
And IF manages to be kid-friendly while also tackling serious and deeply emotional ideas, he adds.
“It reminds me a little of the movies I loved as a kid, which were movies that tackled kind of complex emotional themes, but never sacrificed on comedy.
“They’re really funny and big movies, but they still leave you feeling moved, and I think that’s what makes this movie really special.”
IF is showing in Singapore cinemas.
