Michael and Jim, reunited again.
More than 10 years after The Office took its final bow, Steve Carell and John Krasinski are collaborating on their next project, IF, and there’s video footage of their sweet reunion. Paramount Pictures released a clip of the duo sharing an embrace as Carell, 61, walked in to greet his costar.
“Has it been years?” Krasinski, 44, asks. “Years,” Carell responds.
The pair then jokingly reenacted their reunion again after Carell noticed that they were being filmed. “Let me try it one more time,” Carell quipped, which resulted in Krasinski demonstrating a spit take.
The Office alums are straying far from Dunder Mifflin in the fantasy film IF, which follows a young girl encountering imaginary friends who have been abandoned by their creators. Directed by Krasinski, the movie also stars Ryan Reynolds, Emily Blunt (Krasinski’s spouse) and Matt Damon. Carell voices one of the fantastical creatures, Blue.
“Oh my God, The Office reunion we’ve all been waiting for is in it,” Krasinski joked while speaking to Entertainment Weekly in December 2023. “The truth is, Steve’s one of the most talented people on the planet. So whether I had ever worked with him before or not, I would’ve been gunning for him because I just had his voice in my head when I was writing Blue.”
He added, “[Blue] is not going to defend anyone — he’s just going to give you giant hugs and be adorable. And what better person to give giant hugs and be adorable than Steve Carell.”
The pair’s reunion didn’t just tickle their funny bones. There was a particular significance for Kransinki, who revealed to Total Film Magazine that he shared an emotional moment with Carell on the set of the new film. The director explained that he had his fears when it came to IF, noting that it’s “a big swing” and outside his “comfort zone.”
Carell, Krasinski added, offered some helpful bolstering.
“As much fun as it was to work with him, the most powerful part about it was he came in with the most heartfelt speech about how proud he is of me to be making movies. He said in reading the script, ‘I’m just so honored to be a part of it. I’ll do whatever it takes,”’ Krasinski recounted. “So when I thought that I would be laughing all day, I was crying all day .
IF lands in theaters on May 17.
