In a recent interview with ET, Carell expressed his excitement for his upcoming reunion with his Office co-star. The actor admitted that he has yet to start filming Imaginary Friends, but is full of anticipation for the opportunity to work with Krasinski again saying, "Well, I haven't started working on the film with him yet, but I can't wait. I'm anticipating just joy and fun. I mean, he's the best, and he's a great director. I'll put him through his paces, you know? I'll make him work for it. I might be one of those persnickety actors that doesn't always agree, or won't come out of my trailer. You think you hired somebody that is a friend, but you got that wrong!"
Promotions for the film involve "Behind the Scenes" footage and interviews featuring the film's star, Ryan Reynolds, and actor Randall Park, who claims to be the film's director/writer/star John Krasinski, against the repeated protestations of Reynolds. This is a play on a famous cold open from an episode of "The Office" (2005), where Jim (Krasinski) and his wife Pam (Jenna Fischer) play a prank on Dwight (Rainn Wilson), in which Jim and Pam's actor friend Steve (Park) comes to work claiming to be Jim, gaslighting Dwight into doubting he knows what Jim looks like.
The title of the film, "IF" is not meant to be the word "if" but an abbreviation of the term "imaginary friend."
John Krasinski's first non-horror directorial effort since The Hollars (2016).