Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Jason Reitman Finally Addresses the Biggest Spoilers in the Movie

| November 22, 2021 |

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Jason Reitman at Ghostbusters: Afterlife Premiere — *Photo: Mike Coppola / Getty Images*

This article contains Ghostbusters: Afterlife spoilers.

According to Jason Reitman, he never wanted to brand a Ghostbusters movie. But while near folks likely don't stress over such things, nearly folks are also not the son of Ivan Reitman, director of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II . So the chat of whether he'd always make a Ghostbusters movie came up at one time or some other throughout Jason'south professional person life. He heard the question later he found early success in films like Cheers for Smoking (2005), Juno (2007), and Up in the Air (2009), and he heard information technology again in recent years. Then it must take been the funniest thing when i 24-hour interval, the Oscar nominated filmmaker finally realized he did take a story to tell…

A few days after the film's impressive opening weekend, information technology seems enough of people were eager to hear it too. Bravado by all industry projections, Ghostbusters: Afterlife has very much injected new lifeblood into the nearly forty-yr-old franchise, and introduced a whole new generation to the concept with a immature cast of Ghostbusters which includes Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhoard, Logan Kim, and Celeste O'Connor. And all the same, if y'all've seen the finished flick (which we really promise you take if y'all're reading this), then information technology's the ending and all the piffling surprises which harken back to 1984 that has dominated the chat: the iii surviving Ghostbusters played past Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson returning for an encore; a post-credits scene that brings dorsum Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett; and even the inclusion of a CG-recreation of the late Harold Ramis every bit a ghostly Egon Spengler.

We discuss all o those elements in the below spoiler-filled interview, as well equally why Reitman made the choices he did…

You've talked about the first images you had in your head for this movie were of a little girl using a proton pack and a teenage boy driving Ecto-1. When did you realize their stories still needed to terminate with the original Ghostbusters returning on-screen?

Jason Reitman: I started talking to my writing partner Gill Kenan frequently near these ideas not knowing quite what to do with them. I've always been intimidated past the idea of making a Ghostbusters film. The shadow of my father, the shadow of that franchise loomed big—and [the franchise] was always a identify I kind of avoided. But this is a story I felt the urge to tell, and when we started breaking downwardly how it might piece of work, very early on did I think it would exist wonderful [if this was] a film where we handed audiences back the PKE Meter, the trap, the car, the pack, and somewhen the guys.

It would feel similar Christmas morn as you opened a gift after a gift, and found yourself back in the film that y'all loved.

Was there a version of this script where the guys didn't come back or was that ever the impetus?

I would not take been interested in making this picture show if it did not have the original Ghostbusters.

What were the discussions like with the original actors about suiting upwardly again?

You know, we didn't actually talk virtually it. They put the suits back on and they felt very at dwelling house in them. They felt so comfortable. I remember Pecker saying that 'you put it on and you merely immediately experience like a superhero.' Which is interesting, considering I've e'er idea of Ghostbusters as—not all of us are born looking like Thor, yous know Non all of usa are built-in with superpowers, but nosotros can all put on the flightsuit, and I thought that was what was magical most the Ghostbusters.

You've talked in the past about growing up on the prepare of the commencement movie. What was information technology like for you at present seeing them again in those costumes simply at present as an developed?

Information technology's funny because when I was on-set up with like McKenna [Grace] and Finn [Wolfhard], I ever idea I was making my Ghostbusters film. But equally shortly as I was on the ready with Bill, Ernie, and Dan, I felt like I was a child over again on my Dad'southward set.

Dan is ever such a well-spring of ideas when it comes to everything Ghostbusters. Did he accept whatever input or ideas he pitched to you?

It was more near language. What I love near talking to Dan Aykroyd is the moment he starts talking, you feel like you're in the verbiage of Ghostbusters . He has a way that only he speaks. He has read everything, he apparently has deep roots in science fiction and ghost folklore, and when he talks virtually it, he talks nigh in only a fashion that no one else talks. And you immediately just want to scribble everything down and put it in the movie.

Did you put annihilation he suggested in this movie?

Oh yeah, particularly the dialogue for his character. When he'due south talking to Phoebe on the phone and he starts talking about the fuel isotopes and things similar that, this is just stuff that but Dan can come with.

I thought it was a nice bear on that yous had Winston—who was the hired gun in the start picture show—become the most successful ane while Ray is withal working the Occult bookshop. How did you come with those trajectories for these characters?

I guess we e'er imagined Dan, Ray Stantz, following his passion, and his passion is the occult, every bit opposed to Winston who always had a business mind. He came in looking for a steady paycheck, and we imagined him being a huge thriving success. If there was a way we wanted to see him moving forward, it was equally more of a Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark type.

Was in that location any fence amongst yourselves well-nigh how much to bear witness a spectral recreation of Egon?

I'm not actually going to talk virtually that nevertheless. I understand the urge to talk virtually information technology. I'thou not sure I even feel comfy talking about that yet. I will say that I knew what the ending of the movie was very early. I knew it was going to be very difficult to pull off. And I knew that the success of the film depended on i moment that was going to have to depend on technology that was on the bleeding edge. And bluntly, it took us the entire length of the making of the motion picture to reach. And I didn't know whether it was going to be a success until the very end of the process.

What was information technology like on the day for Ivan or the bandage filming that sequence?

… If you were on gear up that twenty-four hours, you would have seen four very talented actors working together. [Laughs]

To pivot to the end credits sequences, it was great seeing Neb and Sigourney on-screen again. How much of that was improv with Bill?

We had a script for that scene. Apparently the script was unnecessary. [Laughs] … That took half a day. Bill came into the moving picture with his own ideas, and they were brilliant. And I had grown upwardly hearing the stories of Neb improvising, watching him do it live on-set up. It was a thrill to scout him in real-time deliver dialogue that was far superior to anything I could've come up with in the couple of years of writing this movie.

His brain crackles in a different manner, and his vocalism is authentically his and has been so since we start met him. So to hear Venkman come up to life in his voice once more thrilled the crew, thrilled me, thrilled my Dad, and it fabricated me want to get to editing a speedily every bit possible.

I imagine the problem in that situation is picking which line to go along in.

A hundred percent. On every line of Beak's, at that place was an alternate that was merely every bit good.

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You've said this picture show is setting the table for potentially all varieties of Ghostbusters stories. Did you talk with Dan or Ernie or Neb about there being room to lead one of those stories?

No, I just spoke well-nigh the idea of there being more and my desire to see more Ghostbusters movies. Every culture has its own relationship with ghosts and I want to see those movies from some of my favorite filmmakers. And [the original cast] are all incredibly proud of this thing they created that lives in the hearts of others. And they seem just every bit excited equally I am about it.

Could you lot name some filmmakers who would make an amazing Ghostbusters movie?

I hateful, there are far more than talented directors than me. I'thousand non trying to exist humble hither. There's just bright filmmakers out at that place, particularly ones who made and are making large tentpole movies, but besides ones I admire from the indie world, and I'd beloved to see them all working in this genre.

Y'all look at Marvel and how they've assembled this incredible roster of directors to tell their ain kinds of personal stories in that universe. I tin only imagine the kind of films we could have within the Ghostbusters mythology if those kind of filmmakers came to Sony.

We've seen the startup movie, nosotros've seen it as a family. Do yous think there'southward room for Ghostbusters Inc. every bit a business organization model?

What I'll say is the great thrill for me about Marvel is watching Taika make a movie; it's watching James Gunn brand a movie; information technology's watching these filmmakers I already admire coming in and telling their version of a Marvel film. I want to encounter those same filmmakers come up in and brand Ghostbusters movies.

I desire to ask then about your Ghostbusters moving picture. I think the best elements here are how corking Mckenna is, how dandy the whole younger cast is. Do you have any interest in seeing them on their own take a chance away from the outset film's legacy?

Oh my God, I'd honey to. I recollect Finn and Mckenna are already two of the bright stars of their generation, and I think Logan [Kim] and Celeste [O'Connor] volition before long join them. They have and then much talent, they dearest these characters, they love Ghostbusters , and they love each other. And that's kind of obvious, yous tin tell when actors really dig each other. You're watching a movie and you go, 'I retrieve they go along.' And you tin tell with this group that they're actually tight. I would love to lookout man them keep ghostbusting.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now in theaters.