John Krasinski tells us what inspired him to write IF

Since its trailer launch, fans all over the world have fallen in love with John Krasinski’s adorable animated film Imaginary Friends (IF). Written and directed by 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’s a film that kids will be automatically attracted to, but it’s also a film that will take people back to their childhood - blurring the lines between reality and imagination. But guess who is John’s inspiration for this enchanting story? It’s not a shocker - his own children!

He says, “I’ve always wanted to make a movie for them. Emily says that the Quiet Place movies are PG-40 for them, so they won’t see those for a long time. During the early days of the pandemic, I got to spend a lot of time around my then-8-year-old and 6-year-old daughters and see the power of their imaginations. But as the pandemic wore on, I started seeing their lights dwindle. They had been so full of energy and excitement, but they were becoming more cautious about everything.”

Pointing out how we are, from early childhood, enthralled by fairytales that transport us to another world, he adds, “I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing if you could bring all of that magic into your own real life? If there’s one thing I want people to leave this movie with, it’s that believing in something bigger and more beautiful can actually get you through another day. That’s the kind of story I have always wanted to tell.”
IF stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, 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. 

Watch the trailer here:

Don't miss your chance to be transported back to your childhood with Imaginary Friends, arriving in theaters on May 17th