John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds Movie Gets New Title and Release Date

What If John Krasinski directed Ryan Reynolds? Paramount will answer the question when If opens in theaters on May 24, 2024. Previously titled Imaginary Friends and dated for November 17, 2023, If is Krasinski’s directorial follow-up to Paramount’s horror hits A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II. Announced in 2019, THR described the fantasy comedy as “the tale of a man who can see and talk to people’s imaginary friends, befriending those that have been forgotten or discarded. However, some imaginary friends, lacking love and friendship, turn to the dark side, and it’s up to Reynolds’ character to save the world from those that become evil.” 

The Krasinski-directed If also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Indiana Jones 5), Cailey Fleming (The Walking Dead, Marvel’s Loki), Louis Gossett Jr. (Watchmen, The Color Purple), Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter, Killing Eve), Alan S. Kim (Minari, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), and Krasinski’s former The Office co-star Steve Carell (Minions: The Rise of Gru). 

Krasinski wrote and will also star in If, which he’s producing with Allyson Seeger (Some Good News, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) and Reynolds via his Maximum Effort banner (Deadpool 2, Free Guy). George Dewey (The Adam Project) and Alexa Ginsburg (A Quiet Place Part II) are serving as executive producers.

The If release date change comes as Paramount Pictures announced its Quiet Place prequel, previously set for September 22, 2023, has been delayed to spring 2024. Now titled A Quiet Place: Day One, Krasinski produces director Michael Sarnoski’s prequel spinoff with Platinum Dunes’ Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and Michael Bay.

In 2020, Reynolds appeared on Some Good News, the YouTube news-slash-talk show that Krasinski hosted and created amid the coronavirus pandemic. Krasinski’s latest roles include a cameo appearance in the Reynolds-starring Free Guy, his cameo as Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the voice of Superman in the animated DC League of Super-Pets. 

Reynolds most recently starred opposite Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot in Red Notice and headlined the time-travel sci-fi comedy The Adam Project, both for Netflix. He next reunites with his Free Guy and Adam Project director Shawn Levy for the still-untitled Deadpool 3, produced by Disney’s Marvel Studios and set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

If is now slated to open in theaters on May 24, 2024.