IFs, or imaginary friends, can take as many forms as a child’s boundless imagination. IF writer-director John Krasinski took note of this while creating the IFs for the family adventure-comedy, and for the role of the loveable Blue, Kransinski decided that it’s the perfect opportunity to reunite with fellow The Office actor, Steve Carell.

Watch John Krasinski and Steve Carell reunite for IF here: https://youtu.be/cXwZ9ekLvKE

Blue is an extra-large and extremely huggable imaginary friend who is notably not actually blue. “Everyone calls him Blue, but he is purple,” says producer Andrew Form. “John decided that the child who invented him was color-blind. Blue is very lovable, and like all IFs, just wants to get back to the kid who created him and reclaim that life.”

To capture the essence of what Blue is about, producer Allyson Seeger said Carell would be the perfect fit as his voice actor. “When you envision the personification of Blue, who’s larger-than-life, who makes you want to hug him all the time, who can make you laugh and make you cry, there’s nobody more perfect than Steve.”

Krasinski has felt that the reunion with Carell, being together for the beloved comedy series The Office for so long, has been a wonderful experience. “Getting to watch him do the voice of Blue was phenomenal,” Krasinski explains. “I don’t think anybody brings Steve’s level of energy, comedy, and warmth. He made Blue the sweetest, funniest, most adorable character, and the best hugger in the history of hugs.”

Blue was tried and tested on Krasinski’s children, as they were shown concept shorts to see what actual kids would think of him. “I was the most nervous I have ever been to show footage to anyone when I showed my kids this three-minute clip,” Krasinski confesses. “At the end, there was dead silence as they just stared at a blank screen. I almost burst into tears. Then they both said at the same time, ‘When can we bring him home?’ In just three minutes, they recognized him as someone that they wanted to experience life with.”

About IF

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.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, IF is produced by Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski

Cast includes Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas and Steve Carell

In Philippine cinemas starting May 15, IF is distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Connect with #IFMovie and tag @paramountpicsph

Photo and Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures International”

(ROHN ROMULO)

“He understood the character straight away,” was what director George Miller said as he watched Chris Hemsworth read the screenplay for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. In the highly anticipated expansion to the Mad Max universe, Chris Hemsworth plays Dementus, the tyrannical warlord that kidnaps a child that would later become the legendary Furiosa.

Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/1Qt4Z25kdiE

Hemsworth has such an understanding of the character that director Miller thought was ideal for the role. “He understood his character such that I began to rely on him whenever he would say, ‘I think Dementus would do this…’ And suddenly, it became more than serving his performance or the characters, but serving the deeper narrative of the story.”

Hemsworth’s physicality and skill with stunts also proved useful as he took on the harsh Wasteland. “He understands how everything work,” shares Miller. “And, of course, he’s very physically gifted, doing all his own stunts and constantly riding motorbikes in his real life, surfing, doing all that sort of stuff. And so he was ideal for this character. Once I met Chris, saw his response and understood what he was thinking and the way that dovetailed, I thought, ‘Okay, he’s the one who should take on Dementus.”

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga producer Doug Mitchell was fascinated by the initial conversation Miller had with Hemsworth about Dementus. “When they got to talking about villains, he said that they weren’t just table thumpers and screamers, people running around chopping people’s heads off—yes, some are. But, many of them have one characteristic. They’re often charismatic, very likable. And I think what started, which was an echo between George and Chris, was this idea that you play against kind. You know, if you’re an evil man, you hide that, as we see. And Chris was in 100%, like even before George was offering it,” Mitchell recalls.