In an ingenious bit of marketing, the new behind-the-scenes spot for John Krasinski’s film “IF” that will play during the Super Bowl on Sunday resurrects a classic bit from the sitcom “The Office.”
Fans of the NBC series will recall a particularly hilarious cold open in which Krasinski’s Jim played a prank on Rainn Wilson’s Dwight by hiring a stranger played by Randall Park to show up to the office and pretend he was and always had been Jim. This confused Dwight, especially when Jenna Fischer’s Pam played along.
In this new spot for “IF,” Reynolds — the star of the movie — is introducing the spot when Park shows up and introduces himself as Krasinski, the writer and director of the film.
“You’re not John Krasinski, you’re Randall Park. John Krasinski is much shorter and less Asian than you are,” a confused Reynolds says, but Park insists he is and always has been Krasinski.
“Ryan I know it’s been awhile since we shot, but we spent like four months together, 10-hour days,” Park says, to which Reynolds shoots back, “The real John Krasinski knows that I only work four-hour days.”
The bit goes even further as it smashes into a behind-the-scenes featurette that inserts Park into on-set footage from the film, and keeps up the gag as Park narrates the footage as if he’s Krasinski. What a delight.
“IF” is an original all-audience family film written and directed by Krasinski that follows a young girl who can see imaginary friends. She embarks on an adventure to reunite forgotten imaginary friends with their kids, aided along by a jubilant man played by Reynolds and a big fuzzy IF voiced by Steve Carell.
The Paramount Pictures release opens only in theaters on May 17 and also stars Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Louis Gossett Jr.
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