ICYMI: First Trailer for 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' Gives Us Major "Stranger Things" Vibes!

When Ghostbusters II came out in 1989, I became utterly obsessed with the whole franchise. And like any good diehard fan, I was eagerly awaiting a third movie. I distinctly remember my stepbrother (a notorious fibber) telling me that there was indeed a Ghostbusters III in the works but that it wouldn’t be out for another 5 years. “5 YEARS?!” I groaned. “I have to wait 5 YEARS for another Ghostbusters movie?!”

Fast-forward 30 years, and the first trailer for the long-awaited/anticipated/rumored third Ghostbusters film has finally arrived! Unlike the Paul FeigGhostbusters from 2016, which was just an all-female version that did not exist in the original Ghostbusters universe or timeline, this new film, entitled Ghostbusters: Afterlife (written and directed by Jason Reitman, the son of the OG Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman), is a direct sequel to the Ghostbusters movies from the ‘80s, but as we can see from the trailer, the tone and ambiance is completely different.

Reitman the Younger has taken the Ghostbusters universe out of the Big City and into Rural America, completely changing the scope and vibe of the original movies from a fast-paced supernatural comedy to a more subdued, “Stranger Things”-esque drama. As we can see from the trailer, the Ghostbusters now exist as a sort of pop culture myth (like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens), with two young siblings played by Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace being introduced to the New York City-based heroes via their teacher, played by Paul Rudd, and also from some very recognizable relics hidden away in a spooky old abandoned house that their grandfather left them…

Now, while we’ve had confirmation that all of the surviving Ghostbusters – Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson – will be reprising their roles in this film, we never get a glimpse of them in the trailer. I had been wondering how they would account for the absence of the late Harold Ramis in this movie, but it seems they have addressed that by having him be the dead grandfather mentioned above (making Finn and Mckenna’s characters his grandkids).

Further details are pretty vague at this point, but I am certainly looking forward to seeing how they integrate the old characters with the new ones, and what exactly is happening in this small town that requires them to fire up the ol’ Ectomobile once more!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife will hit theatres in Summer 2020, and no I will NOT be watching with my stepbrother…