Teaser for Ghostbusters film from Jason Reitman revs up original Ecto-1
The son of the original's director is charge of "the next chapter in the original franchise."
Strap on your proton pack. We're going back to the original Ghostbusters universe.
Jason Reitman will direct and co-write "the next chapter in the original franchise," taking over from his father Ivan Reitman, who directed the 1984 original and its 1989 sequel. Ivan Reitman will also produce this one, Entertainment Weekly reported Tuesday.
A brief teaser for the film, also released Tuesday, doesn't reveal much, but fans do get a brief glimpse of the Ecto-1 ambulance/hearse from the original movie, covered with a tarp in a desolate barn. But hints and flashes suggest that someone is busy working on bringing the Ghostbusters vehicle and accessories back to life.
The film will start shooting in the coming months, and will be released in summer 2020, according to EW.
Reitman told the outlet he considers himself "the first Ghostbusters fan." He visited the set when he was 6 years old and had small roles in the original two movies (though the first was cut) and wants the upcoming movie to be "for all the other fans."
"This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot," he said of the project. "What happened in the '80s happened in the '80s, and this is set in the present day."
He noted that he respects what Paul Feig did in the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters reboot, but said his movie "will follow the trajectory of the original film" rather than acting as sequel to Feig's one.
It's too early to reveal any plot details, characters or whether original actors Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson or Bill Murray would return as Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore or Peter Venkman respectively. Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler, died in 2014.
Aykroyd hinted at the possibility that the three surviving original Ghostbusters might reunite back in November, so he's clearly open to the idea at least.
The younger Reitman also tweeted about the passing of the torch on Tuesday.
"Finally got the keys to the car," he wrote.
Sony Pictures didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
First published Jan. 16, 4:21 a.m. PT.
Update, 11:29 a.m. PT: Adds Ghostbusters teaser released on the heels of the Reitman announcement.
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