John Krasinski Casts Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Maya Rudolph and Sam Rockwell in ‘If’

John Krasinski has more answers for the who, what and when regarding his feature film project If.

The multihyphenate turned up in Las Vegas on Thursday to make an extended appearance inside Caesars Palace during Paramount Pictures’ studio presentation at CinemaCon. First, he helped debut the first-ever look at A Quiet Place: Day One, the next installment in the franchise he created, though he left directing duties on this film to Michael Sarnoski.

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Krasinski, who admitted he was jealous giving up the director’s chair after seeing the footage, stayed in the spotlight after the clip played to break news on If. But first, he joked that he thought it was finally time for him to make a movie that his kids could watch before they are 40 years old. Inspired by films he saw as a child like E.T. and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Krasinski said he’s been toying with the idea for seven years based on the concept of childhood imaginary friends.

Still in the middle of finishing his director’s cut, Krasinski said he wasn’t able to show much, but he did present a behind-the-scenes featurette that revealed the look, performances and talent he has pulled together: “Let’s be real honest: I’m on the same stage as Adele, I couldn’t come in empty-handed.”

The featurette revealed a voice cast that includes Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Krasinski’s wife Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina and Vince Vaughn. They join previously announced castmembers including Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan S. Kim, Steve Carell and Bobby Moynihan. (“This cast is insane,” Krasinski boasted. “I know for a fact that I will never get a better cast.”)

Krasinski described the film as centering on a young girl (Fleming) who goes through a troubling experience, after which she starts to see everyone’s imaginary friends who have been left behind after their real-life pals grew up. The film follows what she does with that superpower.

“Imaginary friends are not just these adorable creations, they are time capsules for our hopes, dreams, ambitions,” the director explained. “I wanted people to leave this movie believing in something bigger and believing in something beautiful. It’s very real and it’s very possible.”

Reynolds figured prominently in the clip, appearing several times to describe the film and his role in it. “This is a movie that John and I have been talking about for years now. It feels like a live-action Pixar film,” he said, adding that his character plays the accomplice to Fleming’s character, and the two strike up an unexpected friendship.

If also has a new release date of May 24, 2024. Krasinski directed from a script he wrote. His hustle also included producing alongside Reynolds, Allyson Seeger and Andrew Form, with executive producers John J. Kelly, Alexa Ginsburg and George Dewey.

CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, is being held inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from April 24-27.

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