Very little is currently known about what's going down in Ghostbusters 2020, but the cast,
the early teasers and the franchise's enduring legacy are more than enough to get excited
about.
Here's what's in store.
Unusual for a project of such size, things came together very quickly for Ghostbusters
2020.
In January 2019, the first reports of Jason Reitman's involvement in a new Ghostbusters
film hit the headlines, followed the very next day by a heavily nostalgic teaser trailer
for the movie.
Then, before the end of the month, fans had a release date to look forward to.
Reitman confirmed via his Twitter account that the film will hit theaters July 10th
2020, right in the prime of the summer movie release season.
Reitman has noted that the idea for his Ghostbusters project began with the image of a 12-year-old
girl carrying a proton pack, and that image ultimately expanded to include a whole family.
Now, as the film draws closer, we're getting a sense of what that family looks like - thanks
to its all-star cast.
The 12-year-old in question will be played by Mckenna Grace, a rising young talent who's
appeared in everything from Captain Marvel to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to I,
Tonya - and that's just in the last couple of years.
Presumably playing Grace's mother in the film is Carrie Coon, who has appeared in TV series
such as Fargo and The Leftovers as well as films such as Gone Girl and Avengers: Infinity
War.
To play Coon's son, Grace's character's probable brother, the film went with Finn Wolfhard,
best known to fans for his work as Mike Wheeler on Stranger Things, as well as Richie Tozier
in the It movies.
Finally, in June, word got out that comedy superstar-turned-superhero Paul Rudd had also
joined the cast in the role of a teacher.
So, a new cast is firmly in place for Ghostbusters 2020, but what about the cast of the original
film?
Well, this is where things get a little fuzzy.
Back in June, Sigourney Weaver seemed to confirm in an interview that she was indeed reprising
her role as Dana Barrett.
Apparently referring to co-stars Bill Murray and Dan Ayrkroyd, she said:
"It's going to be crazy working with the guys again."
In the days following that report, Reitman appeared at Ghostbusters Fan Fest and, rather
than confirming that the old stars would be in the new movie, simply said that Weaver,
Murray, Ayrkroyd, and fellow co-star Ernie Hudson had all read through the script.
“If there’s a steady paycheck in it I’ll believe anything you say.”
Odds are this does mean that the original cast will come back in some form for the film,
particularly since everyone from Murray to Annie Potts has expressed an interest in returning.
"I love this plan!
I’m excited to be a part of it!
Let’s do it!”
“This job is definitely not worth another five a year!”
Jason Reitman's feature film directorial career began in 2005 with the release of his debut
film, Thank You For Smoking.
Since then he's become known for a particular style that often walks the line between comedy
and drama, as seen in films like Juno, Up in the Air, Tully, Young Adult, and most recently
The Front Runner.
His films are often small in scale, more devoted to exploring the intimacy and absurdity of
human relationships than big setpieces, and his comedy usually evolves out of interactions
between characters rather than any deliberate attempts to set up jokes and gags.
"Did you see that comin’ when she sat us down here?”
“Yeah, but I was hopin’ she was expelled or into hard drugs.”
“That was my first instinct, too.
Or a DWI, anything but this."
Though he's undoubtedly formed his own writing and directing style over the years, Reitman's
interest in filmmaking has its roots in family.
He is the son of actress Genevieve Robert [and writer/director Ivan Reitman,
who's best known for his films Stripes, Kindergarten Cop, and yes, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters
II.
The Ghostbusters franchise is woven into the fabric of Reitman's life, so much so that
he even had a cameo in the second film back in 1989.
"You know, my dad says you guys are full of crap.”
“Jason!”
“Well, some people have trouble believing in the paranormal.”
“No, he just says you guys are full of crap and that’s why you went out of business."
Very little has been shown of Ghostbusters 2020, but what has been released has consistently
leaned heavily on nostalgia.
The first teaser, which arrived in January 2019, sets the scene spookily enough with
plenty of crazy lighting and strange goings-on, before the welcome appearance of a familiar
friend.
But apart from that teaser, all anyone has to go on right now are a pair of photos Reitman
posted to his Instagram account from the set.
One introduced fans to the new family at the heart of the film, with Coon, Grace, and Wolfhard
joined by the two generations of Ghostbusters directors.
In the other, Reitman offered another look at the ECTO-1, this time simply a close-up
of its wheel.
Despite all the hype surrounding Ghostbusters 2020, very little is known about the film's
story.
When Reitman's new take on Ghostbusters was first announced, it was reported that the
film would be a continuation of the original series, which would make it a direct, years-later
sequel to 1989's Ghostbusters II, ignoring the controversial 2016 reboot.
So, that means a world in which Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore
successfully saved New York from ghosts on more than one occasion.
Thanks to Reitman himself, it also seems clear that the new story will center on family.
Exact details about the movie's supporting cast, villains, ghosts and actual plot, however,
are still a mystery - and only time will tell whether Reitman's movie will deliver the Ghostbusters
fans have been waiting for for over 30 years.
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