At first glance of the trailers for the John Krasinski-directed IF, you’d write it off as a kids’ movie. While it is full of colorful characters and has a younger target audience, it’s so much more than that. It’s a double dip of a movie that has something for the kids and parents everywhere.
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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. The Illuminerdi recently spoke with Liza Colón-Zayas from the film and she discussed the deeper meaning that will resonate with adults. We asked at what point did she realize that this was more than a movie for young children.
“Immediately, immediately without giving away anything, I was like ooohh, and then to actually see it… I just got to see it last week and it was… it was what I needed… I needed to be reminded of… like life can still be joyful and simple… and I can stay curious. It really lifted my mood so much.”
– Liza Colón-Zayas
The actress goes on to speak about how creative Krasinski’s mind is, as he described the scenes she says she “just had to imagine it”. Colón-Zalas says she was “smiling ear to ear seeing it all come together once she viewed the final version of the film with the added CGI characters. This is a busy summer for her as she gears up for the premiere of the third season of The Bear debuting next month.
Paramount Pictures has beautifully executed the marketing for the Ryan Reynolds-led project, with families posting their trips to the theaters all on social media. The new tacting of creating cardboard cutouts and immersive pieces for fans to take photos around has proven successful for the promotion.
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Steve Carrell delivers a memorable performance as the voice of Blue, who is ironically a giant purple furry figure. With a solid R-rated Deadpool and Wolverine on the way for Reynolds, it was quite the 180 to see him in a light-hearted film, but he was such a heartwarming character for us to enjoy.
IF is now playing in theaters today! Take the whole family! Get tickets here!
About IF
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2024
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: John J. Kelly, George Dewey
PRODUCERS: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
WRITER AND DIRECTOR: John Krasinski
PRODUCTION: Sunday Night Productions, Maximum Effort
DISTRIBUTION: Paramount Pictures
CAST: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Steve Carell
SYNOPSIS
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. 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.
Will you be checking out IF? If you’ve seen it, what did you enjoy most? Did you have an imaginary friend when you were younger? Let us know your thoughts about the film on The Illuminerdi’s on social media!
KEEP READING: IF Review – A Truly Heartfelt Journey Through A Kaleidoscope of Emotions and The Timeless Need for Friends
