IF director John Krasinski has weighed in on the supposed similarities between his new movie and Pixar.
In IF, Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds play neighbours with the shared ability to see people's discarded imaginary friends, which come in all sorts of fuzzy shapes and sizes.
Exclusively chatting to Digital Spy, Krasinski (who directed two A Quiet Place horrors) was asked if his latest project happened to be inspired by Pixar movies.
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"Well I remember Ryan saying that and I thought, 'Wow, that's a high bar to live up to,'" the filmmaker and actor responded. "Clearly, I think Pixar movies are brilliant. They're bringing us through incredible stories and emotional journeys for years and years.
"I was actually more trying to reference the movies I grew up on, which would be ET or The Goonies. The thing about those movies that was so indelible to me is the idea that they treated me as more than just a kid," Krasinski went on to reveal.
"That thematically and emotionally I would be able to handle much more as an 8-year-old than the rest of the world thought I could. And there's something in that, in that respect of giving the kids that says: have a lot of fun, but we're also talking about some real stuff too. I think those are the most special movies I grew up on, so I tried to make one of those."
Related: First reactions for John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds' new movie IF
Further into our interview, Krasinski told DS exactly what he hopes audiences of all ages will take away from the IF experience.
"Hope, honestly. There's this idea that I think everyone goes through, not kids but adults alike, you're alone when you're having your worst day," he said.
"So I think what was great about all these IFs is they were created by kids that needed a friend, and so I think we all need a friend whether we're kids or we're grown-ups. The idea of when you're having a bad day, that's okay, just know there's this magical world waiting for you that you can go back to anytime you want."
IF is released in cinemas on May 17, with advance screenings on May 11 and 12.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
