John Krasinski’s IF: Release date, cast, plot, and everything we know so far

Fans who have been waiting for John Krasinski’s IF can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the movie is all set to release this Friday, May 17, 2024. Written and directed by Krasinski himself, the movie has a lot of expectations from people of all ages who are eagerly waiting for its release and can’t wait to immerse themselves in the new fantasy comedy goodness.

The movie follows Bea (Cailey Fleming), who suddenly gains the ability to see imaginary friends of others and tags along with Cal (Ryan Reynolds) to reunite them with their former children.

For fans who might be wondering, the movie will be released theatrically, and currently, there's no news regarding IF’s OTT release. Follow along with the article to learn more about the movie.

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John Krasinski’s IF will be released on May 17, 2024 theatrically

Initially started as the Imaginary Friends project that John Krasinski was set to write and direct, Paramount Pictures managed to license the rights after outbidding Sony and Lionsgate. However, it was not until May 2021 when Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds production houses signed the first-look deals with the distribution giant.

Arslan Elver, who worked in many Marvel films, and Chris Lawrence, who is lauded for his work in Jupiter Ascending, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and more, have joined forces as IF’s animation supervisors.

The animation and the visual effects in the film are provided by Framework, the studio renowned for its award-winning VFX in Blade Runner 2049 and Black Mirror.

Although it was a fun project to work on for Krasinski, it was really challenging for him to merge together the imaginary elements with the real world. Here’s what Krasinski told Virgin Radio UK about the difficulties he faced during the making of the film:

"It's kind of exhilarating to do something you've never done before. I would say ignorance is bliss, and this time, ignorance was bliss and scary at the same time."

He also said:

"It was one of those things where we shot the movie completely practically. I tried to direct all my stuff practically in sets, and then merging this other world was wild.

"It was so exciting, but we had an incredible team in Framestore right here in the UK, and we made all these creatures together.”

While talking to Virgin Radio UK, Krasinski also revealed the inspiration came from his children, for whom he wrote the movie. However, he also added that IF is also a gift to his inner child as well:

“(IF is) for my kids, inspired by my kids. Emily jumped in and did me a solid, which was great.

"I wrote it for my kids but then all of a sudden, you realise in the process that you're writing it for your inner child. There's so many of us who need a little reminder that we can always go back.”

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All cast members in the film

The complete list of human characters and their cast in IF:

• Cailey Fleming as Bea
• Ryan Reynolds as Cal
• John Krasinski as Bea's Dad
• Fiona Shaw as Bea's Grandmother
• Alan Kim as Benjamin
• Liza Colón-Zayas as Janet
• Bobby Moynihan as Jeremy

All IFs and their voice cast:

• Steve Carell as Blue
• Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom
• Matt Damon as Sunny
• Emily Blunt as Unicorn
• Awkwafina as Bubble
• Bradley Cooper as Ice
• George Clooney as Spaceman
• Blake Lively as Octopuss
• Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis
• Christopher Meloni as Cosmo
• Maya Rudolph as Ally
• Jon Stewart as Robot
• Sam Rockwell as Guardian Dog
• Sebastian Maniscalco as Magician Mouse
• Richard Jenkins as Art Teacher
• John Krasinski as Marshmallow Man
• Matthew Rhys as Ghost
• Amy Schumer as Gummy Bear
• Keegan-Michael Key as Slime

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Plot Summary

Here’s how the official website describes the film:

"From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids."

It continues:

"IF stars Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination."

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on your favorite TV shows and movies as 2024 progresses.