IF Release Date, Cast, Director, Teaser Trailer And More Details

John Krasinski has come a long way from making funny faces at the camera. Since "The Office" came to an end in 2013, he's transformed into a jack of all trades with a democratic approach to genres. Behind the camera, Krasinski has directed literary adaptations, dysfunctional family dramedies, and, of course, horror with "A Quiet Place" and "A Quiet Place Part II." In front of the camera, he's adopted his most-known character since Jim Halpert as the title hero in the political thriller "Jack Ryan."

Now, Krasinksi looks to be tackling another genre in his forthcoming film "IF." The family-friendly feature marks the first kid-centric directorial effort for the father of two. Intriguingly, "IF" will also see Krasinski return to his roots — the film will reunite him with his "Office" co-star Steve Carell. Here's everything else there is to know about "IF."

Currently, "IF" is slated to hit theaters on May 17, 2024. This hasn't always been the case, however. In fall 2019, "IF" was at the center of a heated bidding war between Paramount Pictures, Sony, and Lionsgate, among others. Paramount eventually won out, and in January 2022, Deadline reported that "IF" was scheduled for release on November 17, 2023, just in time for Thanksgiving. But studio releases are fickle, and Paramount reneged on the film's Thanksgiving weekend date. In July 2022, the studio announced adjustments to its release calendar, pushing the "IF" premiere date to May 24, 2024.

Then, in October 2023, things changed once again. In reaction to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Paramount reshuffled its release calendar in a major way. "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two," which saw its release date jump a year forward, was most prominently affected by this change, but it also shook things up for "IF" by moving its release date up to May 17. Could this state of affairs change in the future? Maybe, but probably not. May 17 is the date to mark on your calendar.

"IF" is about imaginary friends — specifically, what happens to them once the kids who imagined them up grow up and stop needing their company. Very few humans can see them — but our heroine, a young girl named Bea, can. So can the mysterious Man Upstairs, who has been dealing with IFs, as they're referred to, for a long time. Together, they set out to connect discarded IFs with new kids. But accomplishing this might be more difficult than they ever dreamed.

"IF" is poised to delve into the darker aspects of childhood, as well as the most whimsical; Bea reportedly gains the ability to see imaginary friends after undergoing an intense experience. Krasinski has emphasized the movie's emotionality, especially as it regards the child-to-adult transition we all undergo over the course of our lives. "They're these time capsules for everyone's hopes, dreams, ambitions, and this place that we can always go back to that we all think that as adults we leave behind, but we didn't," he told Entertainment Weekly. "They're right there. We just have to turn around and look at them again." Bottom line? Bring tissues.

John Krasinski has pulled together an impressive ensemble cast for "IF." Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds will play Bea and the Man Upstairs, respectively. Fleming is known for her work in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" as Young Rey, as well as performances on "The Walking Dead" and an episode of "Loki." Reynolds is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and almost universally beloved for his performance as the titular anti-hero in the "Deadpool" films.

Steve Carell will play Blue, the ironically purple imaginary friend created by a kid who's since grown up, played by Bobby Moynihan. Alan Kim, known for his star-making turn in "Minari," will join Fleming as another of the film's youngsters. Liza Colón-Zayas will play a character named Janet. Beyond this, we know little about who will be playing which characters. But oh, what a starry cast it is: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Louis Gossett Jr., Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Christopher Meloni, Maya Rudolph, and Vince Vaughn will all appear. Krasinski will play a role in "IF" as well, in a currently unknown capacity.

"IF" will be John Krasinski's fifth feature as a director and his fifth screenplay. The actor got his start directing thanks to his "Office" co-star Rainn Wilson, who encouraged him to helm "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" in 2009. He also directed a few episodes of "The Office" and the family dramedy "The Hollars" before helming his breakout hit "A Quiet Place" in 2018, followed by the 2020 sequel.

"IF" marks Krasinski's first family film as a director, but fans of "A Quiet Place" know that the actor-slash-director has taken a shine to working with kids on set. He's also lent his voice to family-friendly fare, including "Monsters University," "Animal Crackers," and "DC League of Super-Pets."

There's plenty of other talent behind the camera as well. A 2022 Instagram post from Krasinski revealed that Janusz Kamiński is acting as the film's director of photography. Kamiński is best known for his work with Steven Spielberg. The pair began working together in 1993 on "Schindler's List" and have since collaborated on nearly 20 projects, the most recent of which was "The Fabelmans." He's also worked with Cameron Crowe, James L. Brooks, and Judd Apatow.

The "IF" trailer offers a delightful look at the kaleidoscopic world of imaginary friends. We begin with Ryan Reynolds' character, the Man Upstairs, who tiptoes carefully through a kid's messy bedroom. Then an enormous purple monster wearing a wide smile enters the frame. This is, clearly, an IF, or imaginary friend, and he's absolutely elated, because he's pretty sure a little girl was on the edge of seeing him.

We meet that little girl, whose name is Bea, soon enough, and learn that she can, in fact, see IFs. That's a good thing, because they need all the human help they can get: As the trailer illuminates, the kids that create them grow up and leave them behind. We glimpse IFs of all shapes and sizes, including big-eyed cartoon girls, bananas wearing sweatbands, fire-breathing dragons, ghosts wearing crowns, and, perhaps most memorably, a flaming marshmallow with eyes that keep sliding off. They need new friends, and they think Bea is just the girl to find them.

The Man Upstairs is notably taciturn — he's clearly been dealing with IFs for a long time. But Bea brings new light and life to his world. The trailer offers one particularly adorable glimpse of her clad in a top hat and tuxedo, performing on stage with a variety of flamboyant IFs. We can't wait to see what other adventures she, the Man Upstairs, and the rest of the "IF" crew get up to.