“If you’re a fan of the Ghostbusters franchise (or maybe even tried the mega-famous Ghostbusters online slot machine), and haven’t been living under a rock, then you’ve likely heard about the reboot by
now. No, not the one by Paul Feig with an all-female ghostbusting crew, but the newly titled Ghostbusters 2020 by Jason Reitman, who, as it happens, is the son of Ivan Reitman, director of the original films.
With just under a year before the release of Ghostbusters 2020, there has already been a great deal of speculation regarding its story, cast, and connections to the original films, so I think it’s only right to set the record straight and lay out what has been confirmed, and what is nothing more than rumour at this point.
To begin with, using the term ‘reboot’ for Ghostbusters 2020 is somewhat inaccurate. Feig’s 2016 Ghostbusters, for instance, very much falls within the reboot category. Cameos by the likes of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver all but cemented this, given that not one of them appeared as their respective characters from the original films. Jason Reitman, however, has confirmed that his Ghostbusters is not only a direct sequel to the original films, but will be “a love letter” to them.
It’s too early to tell exactly what Reitman means by this, but it has led to a lot of speculation regarding the cast, or more specifically, the original’s cast. Reitman has been relatively tight-lipped as to whether or not he will have the likes of Murray, Hudson and Aykroyd reprising their classic roles. However, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that it is indeed very likely to happen.
Not least is this a direct sequel, but Reitman’s father Ivan is a producer, and Murray himself has expressed interest in making an appearance. This is all without mentioning the fact that Sigourney Weaver said in an interview that she and the original cast would be returning, though Reitman has yet to confirm this, only noting that they had each read the script.
What can be confirmed, however, is the already impressive the cast. In March Carrie Coon, who has more than proven her chops in the likes of The Leftovers and Fargo, was cast as a single mother, alongside Stranger Things alum Finn Wolfhard and young up-and-coming actress Mckenna Grace as her two children. To round off the initial cast, Paul Rudd confirmed his casting via video in June, followed by two more young actors in July, Celeste O’Connor and Logan Kim, who are newcomers to feature film.
What’s probably most notable about the cast is that the majority of the actors thus far are teenagers, and from what little we know about the story, it’s been reported that this sequel to the 1980s originals may feature a young team of Ghostbusters, though once again this has yet to be confirmed. With that being said, Reitman has acknowledged that Feig’s 2016 Ghostbusters, to which this sequel will have no connection, was a big influence on his conception of the story, commenting that “you [Feig] were the person who allowed me, and [will] allow other people, to then make Ghostbusters movies about people of every race, every gender, for people around the world.” In the same interview, Reitman also noted that his film will take place in a new location, and that there will be an emphasis on family.
Ghostbusters 2020 is currently being shot in Calgary, with plans to shoot in additional locations throughout Alberta. It is scheduled to be released on July 10th 2020.