A Quiet Place wasn’t John Krasinski’s directorial debut, but his third feature from behind the camera firmly put him on the map as a filmmaking force to be reckoned with. The sequel only solidified his chops, but he’s mixing things up significantly genre-wise with his next project.
It was first announced in late 2019 that The Office alum would write, direct, produce and co-star in high concept fantasy comedy Imaginary Friends, with Ryan Reynolds playing the other lead role. The premise follows Reynolds’ character who can see and talk to other people’s imaginational figments, but some of them have turned to the dark side after being neglected and abandoned, forcing him into action to save the world from the evil ones.
Even though Reynolds recently announced a brief sabbatical from acting, Imaginary Friends has finally gathered some forward momentum by announcing a couple of new cast members. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Fleabag creator and Indiana Jones 5 newcomer Phoebe Waller-Bridge has boarded the ensemble, as has Harry Potter veteran Fiona Shaw.
Waller-Bridge and Shaw are more than familiar with each other, after the latter earned Emmy nominations for her appearances in both Killing Eve and Fleabag, but a blockbuster fantasy comedy being steered by two major names is an altogether different set of circumstances. There’s no word on a start date for production, but Imaginary Friends was awarded a November 2023 release date by Paramount earlier this year.