When the trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife was released earlier this year, there was some confusion from audiences. The New York setting had gone, the antagonists were a group of kids (including Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things), and it seemed to forego the zany comedy that was a part of the other Ghostbusters films. Was this really a true successor to those earlier movies?
Well, time will tell. The movie's release date has been shifted to 26 March 2021, and all will be revealed then. However, despite concerns that the movie would be nothing like the original, it might be that some of those fears fans have experienced can be allayed.
While the trailer was far removed from what people were expecting of a Ghostbusters movie, there were some throwbacks to the originals. We saw what looked to be green ectoplasm shooting up from a mine, Paul Rudd was seen holding the ghost trap from the earlier movies, and perhaps most excitingly of all, the original Ghostbusters Ecto-1 car made a comeback. Quite what it was doing in the Oklahoma town of the new movie is anybody's guess, but it indicates that the films' narrative will tie into the earlier movies somehow.
So, it might be that fans have no need to worry about the rebooted movie, despite the unexpected tone revealed in the trailer. Here are some other reasons why Ghostbusters fans can have peace of mind about the new film.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Will Be A Comedy
The semi-serious tone of the trailer may have been misleading. According to IT and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, the film won't be short of laughs. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the young actor said:
"The trailer only showed some of it, but it’s a Ghostbusters movie. So it’s a really funny film. Every scene has comedy in it. I’m excited for people to see more of the humor in the movie."
So, there will be comedy in the film, and while it might not be as over-the-top zany as the other movies in the franchise, it shouldn't be short on laughs.
In the interview, Finn also talked more about the character he would be playing in the film.
"He’s a pretty dumb character. It’s not that he’s written dumb, he’s just a dumb teenager and totally naive. Everything is way over his head. He’s obsessed with cars and girls. So it’s really fun to play him."
His character sounds a bit like a junior version of Bill Murray's Peter Venkman character to us, so this is another reason why the movie should be a funny one.
Jason Reitman Is Directing The New Film
On the surface, Jason Reitman may not seem like the obvious choice for the new movie, as the films he has made thus far are hardly blockbuster material. Still, he is very talented, as audiences who have enjoyed such films as Juno and Young Adult can testify. Reitman is also no stranger to comedy. Many of his films have been light in tone, despite serious themes, and on TV he has worked behind the scenes on Saturday Night Live and The Office.
However, these aren't the reasons why we think Jason will be a good fit for the rebooted film. As you will be able to determine from his surname, the director is the son of Ivan Reitman, the man behind the original Ghostbusters movies.
The last thing Jason will want to do is tarnish the reputation of the franchise that has made his father's name, so we're sure he will be respectful. Speaking to the crowds at a Ghostbusters fan event last year, he said "we wanted to make a love letter to the original movie." And in an interview with Vanity Fair, Reitman said:
"If I think about who I’m making this movie for, it’s my father. We all know what it’s like to be told stories by our parents. I’m really honored to get a chance to tell one back to him from the world he brought to life."
The Original Cast Are Back
Not all of the cast will be back, of course, as Harold Ramis, who co-wrote and starred in the first two movies, died in 2014. However, many of the other cast members will be returning.
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson will be back as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore respectively. Sigourney Weaver will be reprising her role as Dana Barrett, and Annie Potts will be back as receptionist Janine Melnitz.
This is all very exciting, although we don't yet know how they will fit into the new film. In an interview with Yes Have Some, Hudson did have this to say, however.
"It's really in line with what the fans have been hoping for and it really ties into the first two movies...For me, it was kind of like a spiritual get-together. A movie that had so much impact and meaning in my life, to go back into that was just emotional to me. To see Danny Aykroyd and Bill, it was very, very special."
With the original cast back, and with some kind of tie-in to the older films, the new film clearly won't be as different as fans originally expected. It should retain the comedy too, so all signs are pointing to something spooktacular! It could be that we have nothing to fear then, other than the ghoulish creations that appear in the film.
There will be something strange in your neighborhood when the new film hits cinemas in March next year. Get your proton packs at the ready!