Everything We Know about the New Ghostbusters Movie So Far

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Everything We Know about the New Ghostbusters Movie So Far

“Everything We Know about … ” is Paste’s series of deep dives into the forthcoming projects we’re most excited about. Explore them all here.

As we reported earlier today (Jan. 16), there’s a secret Ghostbusters movie is in the works from Juno director Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters (1984) director Ivan Reitman.

As Jason Reitman put it in a tweet on Wednesday, he “finally got the keys to the car.”

Here’s everything we know so far about Jason Reitman’s new take on the classic supernatural comedy.


When Can We Expect The Call?

In the film’s first teaser, which unveils the Ghostbusters’ iconic red-and-white logo on a neglected old Ecto-1 Wagon, its revealed that the film is set for a “Summer 2020” release from Sony Pictures.

The project’s previous codename, “Rust City,” is beginning to make a bit more sense now.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Sony plans to start shooting the new Ghostbusters in the coming months.

Who’s Picking Up the Phone?

So far, the film’s only confirmed players are Jason Reitman, who directs and cowrote its script alongside Gil Kenan (Monster House), and Ivan Reitman, onboard as a producer.

As for the cast, per a piece from THR, there is speculation that Jason Reitman is on the lookout to cast four teenagers, consisting of two girls and two boys.

“This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet,” Jason Reitman told EW.

What About Venkman?

Beyond the film’s targeted “Summer 2020” release date, there are no details concerning the film’s plot or characters, let alone who will fill those roles. Although the film will exist within the same world built by the first two films, there is currently no confirmation on whether any of the original cast will return. The original team, minus Harold Ramis, who passed away in 2014, all made throwaway guest appearances in the 2016 reboot.

In the Name of the Father

In his largely reminiscent interview with EW, Jason Reitman doubled down on his dedication to the integrity of the original films. The interview serves as the director’s defense that, as a child on the set during the original films’ production, he is technically the film franchise’s first fan.

Jason Reitman told EW of his experience on the set of the original films:

I remember being on set and seeing them try out the card catalog gag for the first time when the library ghost makes them come flying out. I remember the day they killed Stay Puft and I brought home a hardened piece of foam that just sat on a shelf for years. I was scared there was a terror dog underneath my bed before people knew what a terror dog was.

It’s a little self-serving, perhaps, if not for the fact that Jason Reitman is surely preparing himself for backlash and doubt on a pre-apocalyptic level. As more details come to light, he will surely want to keep his fond memories in his back pocket to remind those on the attack that he, too, is a fan just like you—the first, in fact.

“It will be a passing of the torch both inside and out,” Ivan Reitman told EW, adding of his son and Kenan’s script, “Literally, I was crying by the end of it, it was so emotional and funny.”

If At First Sony Doesn’t Succeed …

Sony had plans for a massive reboot of Ghostbusters when it introduced what was largely marketed as an all-female cast, but despite grossing $229 million worldwide, the film was a critical flop.

However, despite the mixed reception of the 2016 reboot, ghostfather Ivan Reitman serves as a producer on this new film, too.

Not Another Reboot

Yes, the 2016 film was indeed a reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise. However, Jason Reitman is making it very clear that Paul Feig’s film was a reboot, and not a continuation of the original story established in the first two.

“I have so much respect for what Paul created with those brilliant actresses, and would love to see more stories from them. However, this new movie will follow the trajectory of the original film,” he told EW.

Jason Reitman ensures that his film will be another chapter within the original ‘Busters universe, serving as a direct sequel to the first two films and turning the beloved franchise into a trilogy.

The director told EW, “What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

The next chapter will mark 31 years since the events of Ghostbusters II.


Watch this space for further updates on the return of the Ghostbusters.

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