doesn鈥檛 usually fret about reviews. But for his new film 鈥淚F,鈥� he is terrified of the response from two people: His 7 and 10-year-old daughters.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been worried about two reviews more in my life,鈥� Krasinski told The Associated Press in a recent interview. 鈥淚鈥檓 genuinely terrified. I hope it goes well.鈥�
鈥淚F,鈥� about a young girl (Cailey Fleming) and her neighbor (Ryan Reynolds) who can see everyone鈥檚 imaginary friends including those that have gotten left behind, is opening on May 17. In a it鈥檚 the rare original idea that has the backing of a big studio, Paramount, and an ambitious scale and scope. It was shot largely in New York by Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and blends live-action and animation with an army of celebrity voices including Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Maya Rudolph and the late .
The idea to make a film about imaginary friends started and evolved with his kids, whom he shares with actor Emily Blunt (who also voices a character). At first, it just sounded like a fun, family friendly idea.
鈥淢y kids are extremely imaginative,鈥� Krasinski said. 鈥淚 always used to say to Emily, 鈥業 just, I wish we could go wherever it is they go, just for a little bit.鈥欌��
Paramount agreed and in October 2019 signed on to help make and distribute the film, with Krasinski and Reynolds鈥� Maximum Effort. Then the pandemic hit and like so many parents of young children, he saw his daughters鈥� worlds alter dramatically.
鈥淭hey started asking questions like, 鈥楢re we going to be okay鈥� and 鈥榳hat鈥檚 going on?鈥� I got so panicked. I just said, no way, we鈥檝e got to do something about this,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when it hit me to make this movie about something a little bit more, a little bit deeper than just imaginary friends.鈥�
When he started to look into the psychology behind imaginary friends, he began to understand that these weren鈥檛 just whimsical creations. They were in fact coping mechanisms to 鈥渕etabolize鈥� daily life, whether it鈥檚 bullies at school, a divorce at home, a projection of dreams and ambitions, or any number of stressors that find their way into young minds. He understood it now as a sacred place.
鈥淥nce I realized that we were dealing with some high-level stuff, some highly imaginary, flammable stuff, I was like, this is really, really exciting,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew we were on to something special, and I just wanted to take it as seriously as I could.鈥�
DIRECTING WITH FIGMENTS OF THE IMAGINATION
To play the young girl, Bea, Krasinski cast 15-year-old Cailey Fleming (she鈥檚 now 17), an actor who 鈥淲alking Dead鈥� fans will know as Judith Grimes. She鈥檇 just wrapped season 11 of the show and was getting ready to take a break and go back to high school when she got the call that Krasinski wanted her to audition.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had a lead role in a movie,鈥� Fleming said. 鈥淚 was so nervous. But I couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better cast or crew.鈥�
On a set where most of the characters would be added in post-production, Krasinski took pains to ensure that they weren鈥檛 just acting with tennis balls as stand-ins. Sometimes he鈥檇 have puppets, or a picture, or even a friend to be Carell鈥檚 character, Blue. Other times he鈥檇 just jump in and do it himself (in addition to directing and playing Bea鈥檚 dad).
鈥淐ailey is Meryl Streep-level. She could have acted with a hot dog on a stick,鈥� Krasinski said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been there, I鈥檝e acted with the tennis ball. You just try to create a world where everyone feels not only safe and excited, but also feels like their imagination takes over.
鈥淢y job as a director is to try and make every day feel like you鈥檙e doing a play rather than a movie, that it feels intimate and it feels for today only,鈥� he added.
Many of the starry voice actors are people whom Krasinski considers friends. He wasn鈥檛 sure how they鈥檇 respond to his idea, but he said he got some of the quickest 鈥測esses鈥� in his career whether they had kids or not.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about this little girl but it has adults asking when they gave up on their imaginary friends and imaginations and dreams,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he beauty of the movie is it tells you that all you鈥檝e got to do is turn around and you can always go back.鈥�
Recently a friend of his said 鈥淚F鈥� reminded them of 鈥淪ome Good News,鈥� the popular web series Krasinski started during the pandemic. He hopes that like 鈥淪ome Good News, 鈥滻F" is something that can bring people a little joy.
GIVING UP 鈥楢 QUIET PLACE鈥�
Taking on 鈥淚F鈥� also meant passing the torch on the new 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� prequel. 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� helped put Krasinski on the map as a filmmaking force and its sequel was an early and important boon to struggling movie theaters during the pandemic. But between 鈥淚F鈥� and the , something had to give.
He鈥檇 developed a story about the first day of the invasion in New York City, and sought out 鈥淧ig鈥� filmmaker Michael Sarnoski to see if he was interested.
鈥�(John) really helped me early on. Then he let me run free and explore things,鈥� Sarnoski said. 鈥淗e came to set the first day and sort of passed the baton symbolically. I got really lucky that he was like, 鈥楬ey this is a Michael Sarnoski film. Make this your own.鈥欌��
Far from being bittersweet, Krasinski said it鈥檚 exciting and an honor 鈥渢o have created a sandbox that anyone can play in.鈥� Another big summer release, 鈥淎 Quiet Place: Day One鈥� opens in theaters on June 28.
Both films he鈥檚 done in partnership with Paramount, a studio he credits for trusting and supporting his vision.
鈥淥nce 鈥業F鈥� became more emotional and had more of a backbone to it, I think they leaned in even further. Some studios would go like, 鈥極h, no, we want the zany version,鈥欌�� Krasinski said. 鈥淚 think because 鈥楢 Quiet Place鈥� had that same backbone, that same emotional motor, they just said, 鈥楪o do what it is you鈥檙e seeing in your head.鈥欌��
Krasinski has just put the finishing touches on 鈥淚F,鈥� which means that his daughters will be seeing it very soon. They鈥檙e planning to do 鈥渁 little family premiere.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get all dressed up,鈥� he said. 鈥淏asically we鈥檙e going to pretend it鈥檚 their own special premiere. Don鈥檛 tell them that it鈥檚 not the real thing.鈥�
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
