Thirty years of darkness, earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave, and we are finally getting the first true sequel to Ghostbusters! Afterlife, helmed by Jason Reitman, is a continuation of the ghost-huntin’ adventures in the ‘84 classic and its ’89 sequel. The original cast, which includes the likes of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, will be heeding the calls, returning in their iconic roles alongside some new faces.
NME recently caught up with Finn Wolfhard, who stars in the upcoming sequel as a new character named Trevor. Speaking enthusiastically of the legacy of the franchise, the young actor explained what it was like to become one with his childhood icons.
When I was really young, my parents were really big fans of the original movies, so I grew up watching them. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis – all of those were big, big people in our house. So, getting to be a part of that legacy now is very flattering.
Wolfhard further commented on what made Afterlife meaningful enough that it could transcend generations.
Older Ghostbusters fans will find it’s a really, really faithful approach to the series. While young people, if not everyone, will find that, first and foremost, Ghostbusters is about family and the relationships that these people have made. It’s also really funny, so I’m really excited for people to see it.
In a separate interview at the Ghostbusters Fan Fest event, Jason Reitman stated that Afterlife will be a “love letter to the original movie”, with its tone being a mash of comedy and horror. Telling of Afterlife’s development, the director revealed that his creative perspective changed as he flowed through the process.
I thought I was going to be this indie dude who made Sundance movies. And then this character came to me. She was a 12-year-old girl. I didn’t know who she was or why she popped into my head, but I saw her with a proton pack in her hand. And I wrote this story. This story began to form over many years actually. It started with a girl and all of a sudden it was a family. And eventually, I knew this was a movie that I needed to make.
Making sure that the film speaks to audiences new and old sure is vital to a film’s success. Reitman and co. certainly have been outspoken on their passion to create a product that builds upon the franchise’s legacy. It’s a heavy-handed task, definitely, but if they’ve got their power packs on and don’t cross the streams, we sure are in for some sweet summer slime. Until then, who ya gonna call?
