After the flop of the recent Ghostbusters reboot, fans of the franchise were worried that their chances of seeing more installments were all but gone. They were then all delighted to see that a new, more promising reboot, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, is in the works.
Given that we already have a trailer for this new movie, speculation has been rampant about what exactly this movie will show. Fans have an endless number of questions about this reboot and what will happen. Here are the top ten things that we want to see in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
New Ghosts
One thing that made the original Ghostbuster movies so great was the many unique looking ghosts. Some appeared to be quite terrifying, while others had much more of a comedic look to them. This blend of horror and comedy was done quite well and left many kids with just as many laughs as nightmares.
Creativity is the key to either making or breaking Ghostbusters: Afterlife. If the filmmakers show enough creativity in their design of the ghosts, audiences will no doubt be glued to the screen. Alternatively, if all we get are rehashes of the old movies' characters, this reboot is probably not going to go very well.
Plenty of Paul Rudd
Ghostbuster fans, and movie fans in general, were extremely pleased to see Paul Rudd play a big role in the trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Rudd is on an absolute role after his success in both the MCU and numerous drama/ comedies such as his Netflix show Living With Yourself.
One of the few true movie stars of modern-day cinema, it would be a wise decision to give Rudd prominent screen time in this upcoming feature. One of the biggest reasons for the original movie's success was the sheer star power behind it. Rudd takes Ghostbusters: Afterlife one step closer to matching this appeal.
Set Up For Future Sequels
In today's day and age, the movie industry is all about franchises. Sequels and sequels are all the rage. With a franchise like Ghostbusters, fans are going to be wanting to see multiple sequels.
Without a doubt, we are all hoping that this new reboot ends with a satisfying conclusion. That being said, it would be nice to see some setup for more potential installments to the franchise.
Ties To The Rest of the Franchise
Fans of the original Ghostbusters movies are dying to see that world they loved so much come back to the big screen. It would behoove the makers of Ghostbusters: Afterlife to include many significant ties to the original characters/ storylines from Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.
Doing so will build up a lot of goodwill between the fans and the new movie. Capitalizing on nostalgia has been a proven tactic in the film industry over the last decade or so. Ghostbusters: Afterlife needs to dive first into that nostalgia.
Plenty of Comedy
What made the first two films succeed was their effective use of comedy. It was a comedy film before anything else after all. In the new reboot, much of the comedy fell flat with most audiences.
In the trailer for the new movie, it almost seems as if Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be more of a coming of age supernatural adventure in the vein of projects like Stranger Things and IT. Hopefully, this new film understands where it comes from and puts comedy as a little more of a priority than we see in the trailer.
World Building
Between the original two
Ghostbusters films and the newer, female lead reboot, the filmmakers behind these movies have begun to build up a bit of a Ghostbusters universe. This new reboot is a perfect opportunity to start some serious world-building.
Hopefully, Ghostbusters: Afterlife can take advantage of the previous films by showing audiences what a world would be like were ghosts are a proven phenomenon.
A Nod To The Reboot
While the female Ghostbusters wasn't exactly a success, it is now a part of the franchise's history. Maybe fans aren't dying to see a sequel, but it might still be fun to have some sort of acknowledgment of this film within Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Whether it be a cameo from some of these actresses or an even smaller easter egg, fans of the movie would like to see some sort of hint towards that film, especially since there is no way they are getting a sequel.
Easter Eggs
In addition to some easter eggs concerning the female-led reboot, we are also hoping to see many more easter eggs hinting at the other installments in the franchise. In a time when nostalgia seems to be king at the box office, offering Ghostbuster fans a nod to past movies would no doubt be crowd-pleasing.
The Ghostbusters franchise has reached into other mediums besides just film. There have been video games, a television show, comics, and more. Easter eggs nodding to these various installments to the franchise would be a good move as well to please the more hardcore portion of the Ghostbusters fan base.
Slimer
Of all of the ghosts in the Ghostbusters films, Slimer is without a doubt the most recognizable. In a way, he has become an iconic part of pop culture. Today, his image is synonymous with Ghostbusters lore.
Whether he is actually included in this new movie, included in an easter egg, or even just mentioned, there needs to be some sort of acknowledgment of the Ghostbuster's most popular ghost.
The Return of the Original Cast... As Ghosts!
From the information in the new trailer, it is clear that the legacy of the original team of Ghostbusters will play a key role in the new film's plot. This is definitely a great move sure to please all sorts of audiences.
If the filmmakers really want to go balls to the wall with cashing in on nostalgia, there is one choice they could make that would succeed at this while also giving the film an incredibly interesting/ unique story: bring the original cast back as ghosts! As ghosts, the original Ghostbusters could lead the new team and teach them how to be heroes before they pass on to the afterlife.