In 2019 it was first announced that writer and Director John Krasinski was planning to bring his friendship with Ryan Reynolds to the big screen. After a long development period, Krasinski’s fantasy film, combining elements of both live action and animation, “IF” is almost here. The only thing more unbeleivable than the amazing Imaginary Friends in the film, is this cast.
“IF” follows the story of a young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has been going through a troubling experience in her life. Unexpectedly, she acquires the ability to see people’s imaginary friends (referred to as “IFs” for short), who have been abandoned by the kids they helped. Bea then discovers that her neighbor, Cal (Reynolds), has the same ability. The two set out to reunite the IFs with their former kids before they are forgotten. We are introduced to a host of wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.
If his world of colorful Imaginary Friends (IFs) and fantastical creatures isn’t reason enough to want to watch this brand-new adventure that Krasinski has cooked up for us with his leading man Reynolds and young actress Fleming, this ensemble of actors is definitely going to pique your interest.
Krasinski has teamed up with some of the finest talent in Hollywood, while also reuniting with his long-time friend and “The Office” co star Steve Carell. He’s also partnered with his friend Blake Lively and as he mentions he of made his wife Emily Blunt audition, (many times) to bring his Imaginary Friends (IFs) to life.
Let’s take a look at the voices bringing the “IF” movie to life!
Steve Carell as Blue
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Carell and comedy go hand in hand. From his starring role alongside Krasinski in “The Office” to his comedic films such as “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, “Evan Almighty” and “Crazy Stupid Love”. Having voiced Gru in the Despicable Me franchise, Carell also has a talent for voice acting, if theres one thing Carell exels at, its comedic timing. This marks the first time that Krasinski will be directing Carell. He will play a fluffy purple IF named blue who as he mentions had a kid named Jeremy who was colour blind.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom
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Blossom is an excitable humanoid butterfly, so who better to play her than Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The actress and screenwriter rose to fame with her role on “Fleabag”, she also recently starred in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” After a few voice acting roles in BBC Radio plays and a role in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “IF” will be Bridge’s big feature film voice acting debut.
Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis
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The late Oscar winning actor, Louis Gosett Jr. Was best know for his roles in “An Officer and a Gentleman”, “Iron Eagle”, “Roots” and “Good Times.” The “IF” movie marks the first time Louis will posthumously appear in a voice acting role in a feature film. He also provided his voice in the game “Half-Life 2”.
Emily Blunt as Unicorn
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Emily Blunt is known for her versatility as an actress and her captivating performances in both dramatic, comedic and action packed roles, from ‘The Devil Wears Prada” to “Oppenheimer”. Blunt is also known for her role as Juliet in the animation “Gnomeo and Juliet”. Getting to work side by side with her husband once again is an added bonus, for sure.
Matt Damon as Sunny
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The iconic actor is best known for his roles films like the “Jason Bourne” series, “Good Will Hunting” and “The Martian”. He’s also lent his voice to animations such as “Happy Feet Two”, “Titan A.E.” and his best known voice work, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”.
Maya Rudolph as Ally
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The SNL alum never fails to bring the funny. Maya Rudolph has starred in a number of comedies including “Bridesmaids” and the “Grown Ups” films. As a voice actress she played Matilda in “The Angry Birds” movies and voiced Smiler in the “The Emoji Movie”. She also had various roles in the Netflix animated series “Big Mouth”.
Jon Stewart as Robot
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The award winning renowned comedian, writer, and former host of “The Daily Show” bring his wit and charm to the movie “IF” which will be his first feature voice acting role in a major movie.
Sam Rockwell as Guardian Dog
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The dynamic Oscar winning actor Sam Rockwell is known for his captivating performances in films like “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, “Iron Man 2” and “Vice”. He lent his voice to the character Wolf in the film “The Bad Guys.”
Sebastian Maniscalco as Magician Mouse
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This hilarious comedian and actor is best known for his stand-up comedy, he is best known for his film “About My Father”, his TV show “Bookie” and he recently voiced Spike in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
Christopher Meloni as Cosmo
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Best known for his role as Elliot Stabler in “Law & Order” and Chris Keller on “Oz”, Meloni has lent his distinctive voice to various animated projects, including voicing characters in “Harley Quinn.”
Richard Jenkins as Art Teacher
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Esteemed actor Richard Jenkins is mostly recognized for his work onscreen in films like “The Visitor”, “The Shape of Water” and in the TV show “Dahmer”. This will be his first major voice acting role in a feature film of this size.
Awkwafina as Bubble
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Awkwafina is no stranger to voice acting, over the years she has done voice work in major films, she played Sisu in “Raya and the Last Dragon”, Scuttle in “The Little Mermaid” and most recently Zhen in “Kung Fu Panda 4”. You can’t make an animation without Awkwafina’s signature voice bringing the comedy and stealing a scene. As for her her live action work, she is best known for her roles in “Awkwafina is Nora From Queens”, “Oceans Eight” and “Crazy Rich Asians”.
Blake Lively as Octopuss
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The talented “Gossip Girl” alum is primarily known for her roles on-screen in films such as ‘The Age of Adaline”, “The Shallows” and “A Simple Favour”. The talented actress has mastered drama, comedy and action, this will be her first time diving into the world of voice acting.
George Clooney as Spaceman, an astronaut
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Actor, director, and producer, George Clooney is known for his charismatic on-screen presence and versatile performances in a wide range of film genres. Although he is mainly known for his onscreen performances in films such as the “Oceans Eleven” movies, he starred alongside Krasinski in “Leatherheads” and in iconic films such as “Thin Red Line” and “Catch 22”. Clooney’s voice performance as Mr. Fox in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” showcased his ability to bring depth and charm to animated characters.
Matthew Rhys as Ghost
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Emmy winning Welsh actor Matthew Rhys is primarily known for his roles in “The Americans” and “Perry Mason”. He has done voice work in the series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” and “The Owl House”. Rhys’s voice work showcases his ability to embody complex and nuanced characters even in animated form.
Bradley Cooper as Ice
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Did someone say thirst trap? The widely recongnized actor and filmmaker’s most notable live action film roles have been “A Star is Born”, “American Sniper”, “Maestro” and “The Hangover” movies. He has earned 12 Oscar nominations over the years. However his most acclaimed and his only voice acting role is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Rocket Racoon from the Guardians of the Galaxy. His ability to portray the characters wit, charm, and vulnerability solely through his vocal performance showcased his talent across different mediums.
Amy Schumer as Gummy Bear
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Comedian, actress, and writer Amy Schumer is best known for her stand up comedy shows, her show “Inside Amy Schumer” and the film “Trainwreck”. She recently voiced one of the main antagonists Velvet in “Trolls Band Together” (2023).
Keegan-Michael Key as Slime
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You know it is going to be funny when Keegan-Michael Key steps into the recording booth. When it comes to Key, there is no shortage of voice acting credits to list out, he infuses animated characters with personality and charm. He recently played Delroy in “Migration”, Toad in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, he voiced Murray in “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”, and he will be voicing Bumblebee in “Transformers One” this year. When it comes to his live action performances, his most notable roles are the show “Key and Peele” and the recent film “Wonka”. Key has made significant contributions to the world of voice acting.
John Krasinski as Marshmallow Man
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The beloved actor and acclaimed director will be pulling triple duty as both director, writer and IF. The “Jack Ryan” star will be voicing Marshmallow Man as well as playing Bea’s Dad in live action. Krasinski who is best known for his patented blend of comedy and action has voiced Superman in “DC League of Super-Pets” and he was also in “Animal Crackers” and “Next Gen”. When it comes to live action he is best known for his roles in films such as “License to Wed”, “Something Borrowed” and “13 Hours”.
Over the years Krasinski has proven what a talented actor, director and writer he is, having directed and written “The Quiet Place” films in 2018 and 2020 and directed the film “The Hollars” in 2016. Krasinski has the ability to break the box completely when it comes to his way of storytelling. Krasinski initially created “IF” for his kids, who he believes are not yet allowed to see his post-apocalyptic horror Quiet Place. According to Krasinski, “IF” is not just for kids, but for all those grown-ups who are still kids at heart. He went on to say
“For me, it was just about what if we could tell a story about these time capsules? Imaginary friends are adorable and all those things, but they’re also time capsules of your hopes, dreams, and ambitions when you were the most fertile of a brain, and it never goes away. I think we’re told that we’re adults instead of what if you realize that you never stopped being a kid.” – John Krasinski
Watch the trailer here:
“IF” premieres May 17th. Head to the cinema, and step back into the magic of your childhood.
Fangirl and Writer with a huge passion for entertainment.
