Ryan Reynolds brings his high-energy comedic humor that made his portrayal of the superhero Deadpool iconic and turns it into the magical character of Cal in the whimsical world of "IF."

"IF," an acronym for imaginary friends, is the family adventure-comedy opening across Philippine cinemas today.

The film follows Cal in a world where IFs are real. Still, he is only one of two people who see them, along with a little girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming).

Cal comes across Bea while frustrated with his mission to give purpose to forgotten IFs by matching them with a new kid to protect and play with. His efforts go nowhere until Bea comes along and changes everything.

The character Cal is a role tailored for Reynolds, said director-writer John Krasinski, explaining in an interview, "We needed someone who could play heart as well as humor, an expert at physical comedy who could create a very real relationship with Bea. Ryan is able to cover such a range of emotions and have such fun doing it."

Krasinski also shared how Reynolds is uniquely qualified to be the person who takes Bea on an adventure she never dreamed of.

"He is able to make the kind of emotional hairpin turns that most actors can't. He has incredible timing. But more importantly, he understands that while timing can make you laugh, it can also make you cry. He just knows how to craft a performance," the director said.

Reynolds, meanwhile, shared his take on the story of "IF" and the importance of imagination.

"The concept of imaginary friends is provocative and interesting," said the Hollywood superstar. "IFs are usually created out of necessity. It's an adaptive coping mechanism for kids who realize that they can't rely exclusively on their parents for a sense of well-being. They have to find other ways to manage. They seek it by creating their own imaginary friends."

The actor revealed that he had his own IF as a child: a teddy bear named Pookie. "My brother Jeff and I shared this imaginary friend back and forth. It was a kind of weird bond we had. It's something we still talk about today."

"IF" is rated G and hits cinemas today.