Summary

• IF marks only the second time Ryan Reynolds has collaborated with another star, showcasing Bea's ability to see abandoned imaginary friends.
• The mixed reviews of IF highlight the complex plot mechanics and uneven tone, despite the compelling imaginary friends portrayed by major stars.
• The reunion of real-life couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in IF reflects their limited on-screen collaborations due to Green Lantern's reception.

Although Ryan Reynolds has enjoyed a lengthy blockbuster career, IF's surprisingly complicated ending.

Krasinski himself plays Bea’s father, who is taken to hospital after her mother’s death. This tragic setup leaves Bea and Cal plenty of time to rehome the imaginary friends, although it also results in an uneven tone mentioned by many of IF’s mixed reviews. Even IF’s critics did concede that the movie’s most compelling creations were the titular imaginary friends, from Steve Carell’s large fury monster Blue to Awkwafina’s sentient bubbles, Pop. There are a slew of other imaginary friends voiced by major stars, like Matt Damon, George Clooney, Emily Blunt, Sam Rockwell, and Bradley Cooper.

IF Is The First Movie Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively Have Both Been In Since Green Lantern

The Real-Life Couple Reunited For This Family Fantasy Dramedy

Among IF’s many imaginary friends is Blake Lively’s Octopuss, a cat dressed as an octopus. Thus, IF marks the first time that real-life couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds appeared in the same movie since 2011’s Green Lantern 13 years ago. Although Octopuss doesn’t play a major role in IF, Lively’s presence is interesting given how rarely the pair collaborate on-screen. Since Green Lantern ranks among Reynolds’ worst movies, it is perhaps not too surprising that it took the pair so long to make another project together. Regrettably, the mixed reception of IF may discourage them from doing so again.

Lively and Reynolds met on the set of Green Lantern and began dating, with the couple getting married two years later.

While Green Lantern was a box office disappointment and a critical disaster, the movie wasn’t without its positives. Lively and Reynolds met on the set of Green Lantern and began dating, with the couple getting married two years later. Reynolds and Lively went on to have four children together, but the duo didn’t share the screen again until IF. Although IF’s confusing lore set up an entire fictional universe for the movie’s sequels to explore, its lackluster box office makes the odds of a follow-up movie vanishingly unlikely. Thus, Lively and Reynolds’ next movie may have to wait another 13 years.

Why Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively Haven't Made More Movies Together

The Failure of The Green Lantern May Have Discouraged Further Collaborations

Although Lively and Reynolds have been together for fourteen years, it does make sense that the pair have only made two movies together. Since Green Lantern’s failure, Lively’s taste in projects has leaned toward smaller, more intimate stories like Cafe Society and All I See Is You, as well as darker projects like The Shallows or The Rhythm Section. Even her most mainstream movies, such as A Simple Favor, are nowhere near as big as Reynolds’ output. In contrast, Reynolds prioritizes roles in major blockbusters like Deadpool, Free Guy, and Detective Pikachu. Thus, IF is the first movie to marry their interests.