The Ghostbusters legacy is an interesting one. The first film was – of course – a cultural milestone, its sequel was fine if not as good and the gender-switched 2019 reboot was a perfectly fun outing that became the victim of mixed-messaging and awkward marketing – not being able to fully straddle being a re-invention or continuation.
So SONY‘s much-delayed Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one of those upcoming releases that has people interested but cautious. The idea of a ‘next generation’ concept is full of potential potholes and dead-ends, though shows like Stranger Things have shown that modern day sensibilities and retroactive nostalgia can work in the right hands.
The new trailer for the film – coming from director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman – is the most comprehensive since the first trailer at the end of last year and gives a better idea of tone and it seems that there’s potential here… at least in spirit. The late Egon (originally played by the late Harold Ramis) leaves secrets linked to his old career in a dilapidated farmhouse that is left in his estate to his estranged daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) With many money-troubles, she moves to the area with her kids… but with unexplained earthquakes it appears all Hell may be about to break loose.
There are throwbacks and nods to the original and technically Afterlife appears to be in the original continuity (with the original team’s commercials and even a hint at the end that we’ll see more of the surviving members of the original outings). It doesn’t feel like it will ‘pander’ to a young audience, merely engage them with some old tricks and refurbishments. The casting of Paul Rudd (Antman) and Stranger Things‘ Finn Wolfhard is a savvy move and it feels, so far, like it might bridge the generational divide…
We’ll find out on 12th November…
