John Krasinski Usually don’t worry about reviews. But he’s afraid of two people’s reaction to his new film “IF”: his 7- and 10-year-old daughters.
“I’ve never been worried about more than two reviews in my life,” Krasinski told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I’m really scared. I hope it goes well.”
“IF,” about a young girl (Callie Fleming) and her neighbor (Ryan Reynolds) which sees everyone’s imaginary friends, including those left behind, is one of this summer’s major studio releases premiering on May 17th. In a landscape filled with brands and franchises, it’s the rare original idea that has the backing of a big studio, Paramount, and an ambitious scale and scope. It was shot extensively in New York by Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and features a mix of live-action and animation with an army of celebrity voices including Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, and others. Maya Rudolph and the late Louis Gossett Jr.
The idea of making a film about imaginary friends began and developed with his children, which he shared with actor Emily Blunt (who also voices one character). At first, it just seemed like a fun, family-friendly idea.
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Ryan Reynolds, left, with director John Krasinski on the set of “IF.” (Johnny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures via AP)
“My kids are extremely imaginative,” Krasinski said. “I always said to Emily, ‘I wish wherever we went, we could just go for a little while.'”
Paramount agreed and signed on in October 2019 to help produce and distribute the film with Krasinski and Reynolds producing the film. Then came the pandemic, and like many parents of young children, they watched their daughters’ world change dramatically.
“They started asking questions, ‘Are we going to be OK’ and ‘What’s going on?’ I was so nervous. I just said, no way, we have to do something about this,” he said. “That’s when it came to my mind to make this film about something a little more, a little darker, than imaginary friends.”
When he began to look into the psychology behind imaginary friends, he began to understand that these were not just whimsical creations. They were actually coping mechanisms for “metabolizing” daily life, whether it be bullying at school, divorce at home, the projection of dreams and ambitions, or any of the many types of stressors that force their way into young minds. Let’s search. Now he understood it as a holy place.
He said, “Once I realized we were dealing with some high-level things, some highly speculative, flammable things, I thought it was really very exciting.” “I knew we were going to do something special, and I wanted to take it as seriously as possible.”
Directing with Imagination Pictures
To play the young girl, Bea, Krasinski chose 15-year-old Callie Fleming (she’s now 17), an actor whom “Walking Dead” fans may know as Judith Grimes. She had recently finished season 11 of the show and was getting ready to take a leave of absence to go back to high school when she got a call saying Krasinski wanted to audition her.
Fleming said, “I’ve never played a lead role in a movie.” “I was very nervous. But I couldn’t have asked for a better cast or crew.”
On a set where most of the characters would be added in post-production, Krasinski worked hard to ensure that they were not simply acting with tennis balls as stand-ins. Sometimes he would have puppets, or pictures, or even a friend like Carell’s character Blue. Other times he would join in and do it himself (in addition to directing and playing Bea’s father).
Krasinski said, “Kelly is Meryl Streep-level. She could act with a hot dog on a stick.” “I’ve been there, I’ve acted with tennis balls. You just try to create a world where everyone not only feels safe and excited, but also feels like their imagination has taken over.
He said, “My job as a director is to try to make every day feel as if you’re doing a play rather than a movie, so that it feels intimate and it feels just for today.”
Many stellar voice actors are people whom Krasinski considers his friends. He wasn’t sure how they would react to his idea, but said he got some of the quickest “yeses” he’s gotten in his career, whether they had kids or not.
“It’s about this little girl but it’s about adults asking when they gave up their imaginary friends, fantasies and dreams,” she said. “The beauty of the movie is that it tells you that you just have to turn around and you can always go back.”
A friend recently said that “IF” reminded him of “Some Good News”, the popular web series Krasinski started during the pandemic. He hopes that “like some good news, “IF” is also something that can bring people a little joy.
leaving ‘a quiet place’
Taking on “IF” also means passing the torch to the new “A Quiet Place” prequel. “A Quiet Place” helped put Krasinski on the map as a filmmaking force and its sequel was an early and significant boon for movie theaters struggling during the pandemic. But between the “IF” and “Jack Ryan” shows, something had to give.
He had developed a story about the first day of the invasion in New York City, and asked “Pig” filmmaker Michael Sarnosky to see if he was interested.
Sarnoski said, “(John) really helped me in the beginning. Then he allowed me to run free and figure things out.” “He came to the set the first day and symbolically passed the baton. I was really lucky that he said, ‘Hey this is Michael Sarnosky’s movie. Make it yours.'”
Far from bitter, Krasinski said that “creating a sandbox that anyone can play in” is exciting and an honor. Another big summer release, “A Quiet Place: Day One” hits theaters June 28.
Both films he made were in partnership with Paramount, a studio he credits for trusting his vision and supporting him.
Krasinski said, “Once ‘IF’ became more emotional and had its backbone, I think they leaned in even further. Some studios would say, ‘Oh, no, we want the zany version.'” “I think because ‘A Quiet Place’ had the same backbone, the same emotional motor, he just said, ‘Go do what you see in your head.'”
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Krasinski just put the finishing touches on “IF,” which means his daughters will be able to see it very soon. They are planning to have “a small family premiere”.
“We’re going to be fully prepared,” he said. “Basically we’re going to pretend it’s their own special premiere. Don’t tell them it’s not the real thing.”
