Sony Pictures has released the first trailers forJason Reitman’sGhostbusters: Afterlife. Together with screenwriterGil Kenan(City of Ember), Reitman has crafted a new story set in the present-day world of the Ghostbusters that builds on the events of the first twoGhostbustersfilms directed by his father,Ivan Reitman, and starringDan Aykroyd,Bill Murray,Harold Ramis, andErnie Hudson. Although Reitman has said before that he respects and likes the 2016Ghostbustersreimagining directed byPaul Feig, his story will build directly from where the story ended withGhostbusters II.
At the heart of the newGhostbustersfilm isCarrie Coon,Finn Wolfhard, andMckenna Grace. Aswe learned earlier this week, Coon plays Callie, the mother of Trevor and Phoebe (played by Wolfhard and Grace, respectively). Phoebe is a science-obsessed young girl while Trevor is more of a gearhead. The family moves to a small town in Oklahoma after they inherit a property once owned by Callie’s father. We don’t know who Callie’s father is but, as we soon find out, he had a connection to the original Ghostbusters. The movie’s events also account for the event known as the “Manhattan Crossrip,” a.k.a. the big event at the end of 1984’sGhostbusters. Trevor, Phoebe, and their friends soon begin exploring the property and discover all kinds of Ghostbusters gear. Even though they’re too young to know what it is, their summer school teacher Mr. Grooberson (played byPaul Rudd) is basically aGhostbusterssuperfan and lays down some knowledge.
This trailer hints heavily that Grace is playing the granddaughter of Egon Spengler, who was played byHarold Ramisin the first two movies. Ramis sadly passed away in 2014, which put to rest ideas of creating a full-onGhostbusters 3which then paved the way forPaul Feig’s underrated 2016 reboot. But unlike that film,Afterlifeis very much a “legasequel” in that it’s both a sequel and a reboot toGhostbusters 2.
I like the tactile nature of what we see onscreen here, and Reitman as a filmmaker has a knack for interpersonal relationships (see:Up in the Air,Young Adult) so I’m curious to see that married to the idea of a blockbuster sequel. Thus far, however, this trailer is a great step in the right direction.
Ghostbusters: Afterlifealso managed to get a killer cast in place in addition to Coon, Wolfhard, and Grace. Back in June,GhostbustersstarSigourney Weaverconfirmedshe, Aykroyd, Hudson, andAnnie Pottswould appear inGhostbusters: Afterlife, so we’ll be seeing a presence from the OG characters in some form or fashion.
Ghostbusters: Afterlifeis set to premiere June 26, 2025. Check out the trailer below:
