How ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Honors 1984 Original Film

As Sony gears up to end its “Ghostbusters” VR experience in Japan on December 8, a whole new cinematic adventure is being teased through photos and a small plot synopsis. Coined “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” the next entry into the film franchise sees a blending of its predecessor along with a completely new cast of characters.

Although a “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” trailer has yet to be released, aside from a 52-second tease, Vanity Fair gave an exclusive inside look at the upcoming movie. Complete with stills of Paul Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson and the iconic Ectomobile plowing through a wheat field, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” will seemingly draw some inspiration from the original movie while maintaining a modern look at the ghost-ridden world.

“The joy of cowriting a film like this is imagining the sound of Ecto-1’s engine revving back to lode or the moment a PKE meter lights up for the first time and begins leading you toward your destiny,” said director and co-writer Jason Reitman, whose father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original two “Ghostbusters” films.

The plot of “Afterlife” sees a single mother, Callie (Carrie Coon), along with her son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace), moving into an inherited property in Oklahoma. In a world where the events of 1984’s “Ghostbusters” are referred to as the “Manhattan Crossrip of 1984,” the new film will attempt to draw together events from the past with “Afterlife” in order to tie the storytelling universe into a cohesive narrative.

“As the family arrives at an old farm, they begin to discover their connection to the original ‘Ghostbusters,’” relates Reitman. “Trevor and Phoebe are about to find out who their grandfather was and whether they’re ready to pick up the proton pack themselves.”

Reitman helped write the “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” script alongside Gil Kenan. Though Reitman remained tight-lipped about the family’s ultimate ancestry, he did relate that some of the cast from the original “Ghostbusters” might be reprising their roles in some capacity. As for Rudd, he plays a summer school teacher who had lived through the “Manhattan Crossrip,” representing one of the few people who sees it as a real event rather than a myth.

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” will focus on Callie’s two children as they unravel the mystery of their past, while simultaneously unlocking newer ones. With the help of Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson, whose obsession over the original film’s events will help to weave 1984’s “Ghostbusters” in with “Afterlife,” Trevor and Phoebe will discover if they truly have what it takes to be Ghostbusters.

A “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” trailer debuts on Monday and the film is set to release Summer 2020.