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John Krasinski to direct Ryan Reynolds in comedy about bad imaginary friends

Krasinski and Reynolds (Reynolds is imaginary!)
Krasinski and Reynolds (Reynolds is imaginary!)
Photo: Rodin Eckenroth (Getty Images)

John Krasinski’s career as a filmmaker is still relatively young, but he’s already embracing a time-honored Hollywood tradition by signing up to direct a high-concept Ryan Reynolds movie. Yes, from the industry that brought you R.I.P.D. and Self/less comes Imaginary Friends, a film where a snarky guy (Reynolds, obviously) somehow has the ability to see imaginary friends—like, all imaginary friends, not just ones that he imagined. He ends up befriending “many of those who have been forgotten,” and he has to try and help the friends that “turn evil” when they’re left with a “void of love and friendship.” So, apparently, imaginary friends just roam the Earth for all eternity, whether they have a friend or not, but if they don’t have a friend they might turn evil. What does it mean when an imaginary person turns evil? And what does it matter if only Ryan Reynolds can see them?

Anyway, this seems like an odd thing to make after A Quiet Place, but Deadline maintains that John Krasinski will both write and direct Imaginary Friends. Also, it’s apparently just a “fantasy comedy” and not some kind of weird action movie, which means it will either be more or less weird than you’re imagining. Hard to say.

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