John Krasinski Directs Steve Carell in Delightful New Film

A Quiet Place director/writer John Krasinski may have another film franchise on his hands. The Office alum's latest sees him teaming up with his old "boss"/co-star in a new, delightful fantasy film. IF was written and directed by Krasinski, who starred as Jim Halpert in the sitcom. His new, family-friendly film sees Steve Carell voicing the role of a huge, fluffy purple creature. IF stands for "Imaginary Friends," and the fantasy comedy follows a young girl who starts seeing imaginary friends who have been abandoned by their originators.

The plot sounds a bit like the Cartoon Network animated series Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, which also has a purple fluffy creature. The mostly-live-action film also stars Krasinski and his wife and A Quiet Place star Emily Blunt, Ryan Reynolds, Matt Damon, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Christopher Meloni, Awkwafina, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Louis Gossett Jr., Bobby Moynihan, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Richard Jenkins.

This is the first time Krasinski and Carell have teamed up on something since The Office ended in 2013. Krasinski previously told Collider over the summer that the film was made for his kids because he they're not allowed to see his sci-fi horror (A Quiet Place) just yet. In the 2018 film, though rated PG-13, he and Blunt's daughters Hazel and Violet are under ten years old (Hazel is nine and Violet is seven). He said Blunt calls it "PG-40," telling their daughters that is when they are allowed to watch the film.

Having FOMO for his daughters, what else was a dad to do other than make a movie they could see? Plus, he said he's "really, really excited about it." He further says that besides being adorable, imaginary friends are 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."

IF is set for release on May 17, 2024. Watch the trailer below:

Steve Carell is one of the most versatile comedic actors in Hollywood. He's widely recognized for portraying Michael Scott in the American version of The Office television series. Carell has received numerous accolades for his acting in film and television. He was born on August 16, 1962, in Massachusetts, as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Edwin, was a mechanical engineer, and his mother, Harriet Theresa, was a psychiatric nurse. In high school, Carell played ice hockey and lacrosse. He also took up playing the fife (a small flute similar to the piccolo) with his family.

With an interest in history, Steve received a degree in the subject from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1984. While there, Carell was a member of Burpee's Seedy Theatrical Company, a student-run improvisational comedy troupe, while being a goalie on the school's Big Red hockey team for four years. He even was a disc jockey for the school's campus radio station WDUB under the name "Sapphire Steve Carell."

Early in his performing career, Carell acted onstage in a touring children's theater company. He later starred in the comedy musical Knat Scatt Private Eye and in a television commercial for Brown's Chicken in 1989. Carell made his film debut in a minor role as Tesio in 1991's family comedy Curly Sue. It was in 1996 that Steve was a cast member of The Dana Carvey Show, a short-lived sketch program that lasted one season. Though the comedy program only lasted seven episodes, it has been credited with forging Carell's career. Steve went on to star in several back-to-back comedy films in the 2000s, including 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, the fan-favorite The 40-Year-Old Virgin a year later, Evan Almighty, Get Smart, and Date Night.

He's got 84 acting credits below his belt. Take a look at our top 5 picks of Steve Carell's funniest roles in movies (Not that that is the reason why The Office isn't included here.)

Carell's first animated film role was as the Felonious Gru in the Despicable Me franchise. His wild accent is an entertaining watch for a children's movie that adults can appreciate. He has reprised the role in all five films, even voicing the younger version of the character in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru.

In this 2008 action comedy starring alongside Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, and Terence Stamp, Carell plays a highly intellectual analyst who dreams of becoming a field agent like Johnson's Agent 23. While taking on this action role, Carell blends perfectly comedy and action with hilarious yet impressive scenes with Hathaway.

Carell's loveable dimwit character Brick Tamland is one of his most hilarious roles to date. As part of the four-man team, Brick is the weatherman for KVWN news. He often blurts out irrelevant information, and with an IQ of 48, is known for being mentally challenged.

From the movie that gave us "Ahh!!! Kelly Clarkson!" Steve Carell's Andy is an awkward introvert. His co-workers at Smart Tech are on a mission to helping Andy finally lose his virginity. Director Judd Apatow said Carell's Andy "didn't have to be that weird. Everybody has some built-in performance anxiety and for some people, it prevents them from taking risks and they simply stop trying." But Carell really took one for the team here: the waxing scene was real. He didn't have to act like it hurt. And his castmates didn't have to act horrified.

Steve Carell's funniest role goes to this performance as Barry in the 2010 comedy film starring alongside Paul Rudd. Carell's character has a fascinating hobby of taxidermy mice into dioramas based on famous artwork, called "Mousterpieces." Rudd's Tim invites Barry to a dinner after finding him to be an eccentric person with a special talent, only to be used as entertainment for his bosses.