You know what the kids love? Stranger Things. So, what’s a cynical studio to do when they’re trying to raise a franchise from the dead? Make it like Stranger Things, of course. Or at least, that’s how it feels when you first watch the trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
The plot of the film follows the two grandkids of Egon Spengler, one of the original Ghostbusters from the first movie. They move into his old home and discover some ghost-hunting equipment, as well as the old Ectomobile, just as weird things start happening around town that might hint at ghosts coming back. Trevor and Phoebe team up with their science teacher Mr. Grooberson, played by Paul Rudd, and Phoebe’s currently unnamed classmate, played by Logan Kim, to figure out what’s happening. Cue the theme song!
So, right off the back, we’ve got some big similarities to the Netflix hit. Yes, that is Finn Wolfhard, the kid from Stranger Things, continuing to stumble upon creepy happenings in middle America. Yes, we do have a young-ish science teacher who is over-excited and will play a decently significant role in the goings-on. Yes, we’ve got a single mom trying to raise two kids. And yes, we will have nostalgia galore, as Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver are all reprising their roles.
The film was written and directed by Jason Reitman, son of the first two films’ original director Ivan Reitman, and will be a continuation of the original series rather than the 2016 reboot.
Also, quick question: is Finn Wolfhard a horror icon now? Cause between this, Stranger Things, The Addams Family, The Turning, and IT, it seems like all he really does it spooky stuff. Not complaining, mind you, it’s just kind of surprising.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife premieres in theaters on July 10, 2020.
