John Krasinski Says Writing & Directing ‘IF’ Brought Him Closer To His Two Daughters

John Krasinski took being a girl dad to a whole new level!

The 44-year-old old wrote and directed his upcoming film “IF” as a love letter to his two daughters, Hazel and Violet, whom he shares with wife Emily Blunt. The movie follows a young girl who through a difficult experience starts to see everyone’s imaginary friends who have been left behind. John took inspiration from his own little girls while writing the film and told Access Hollywood at the New York City premiere that it brought him closer to them.

“I think there’s two things because one, they finally figured out what I do. They’re like, ‘Oh you’re not an accountant this is great’ and then the other thing is that we shared it together,” he said.

From the beginning, John told Access his girls were involved in the entire process.

“This movie I pitched it to them, I showed them my horrible drawings, they watched the trailer before anybody else, it was a whole family affair and I think what was really amazing is that we came together and they realized that when you’re an adult I was still creative, I was still bringing an art form out there, I was still being a kid, I was still being silly and you can do that when you grow up,” he said.

The project was just as special for his wife, Emily Blunt, who is also in the film.

While chatting with Access she revealed the most special part of the entire process was seeing her girls watch the movie with their dad over the weekend.

“We had a little screening, and it was just, my jaw was on the floor watching them and just seeing them absorb the fact the essence of them is all over this movie,” she said. “Their sense of humor was in this movie, it’s such a love letter to them and his beating heart is this movie, so I think it was just watching them take it in… It was so overwhelming.”

The film is bound to leave a mark on audiences, with Ryan Reynold’s praising John for his brilliant writing.

“The bond between a parent and a child is actually so much for complex, I think, than what people give it credit for. I think that John wrote a beautiful script and a really beautiful love letter to both childhood and adulthood in one movie,” Ryan said. “What he and Cailey [Fleming] are able to kind of like convey on camera I think is really reflective of real life. They’re complicated, tricky relationships. You know, I have daughters, I know how that can be a very kind of challenging thing at times but it’s also the greatest job I’ve ever had in my life,” he added.

Maya Rudolph echoed Ryan’s sentiments, telling Access, “It’s touching that it’s a character that’s made for a little girl.”

“IF” hits theaters May 17.