A new image from the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife film has revealed the iconic Ecto-1 rushing through the small-town streets of the film's setting. After the release of 1989's Ghostbusters II, the reluctance of many cast members to return for the third film is mainly what halted any progress of the franchise continuing, with the death of the great Harold Ramis further adding to its unlikely continuation. Eventually, the plot of the third film was recycled into 2009's Ghostbusters: The Videogame, and the franchise rebooted with 2016's Ghostbusters.
After the critical failure of the 2016 film, Jason Reitman, son of the original film's director, announced in January 2019 that he was developing a continuation of the original two Ghostbusters films. Seeing many returning cast members, the upcoming film is set to revolve around the family of late ghostbuster, Egon Spengler, as they discover his past as a member of the group and seemingly continue his work. Amongst the new coming cast to the franchise are McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd.
In a list of upcoming films from USA Today, a newly unveiled image from the film was showcased, portraying the famous Ecto-1 car from the original films driving down a small-town street. Specifically, the image focuses on the vehicle's personalized license plate, featuring its eponymous title, as it chases after a smaller, presumably remote-controlled, vehicle. Towards its side, a character can also be seen in a sidecar wielding the iconic proton gun and shooting an unseen force behind the picture. Check out the full image below:
During the film's early development, many long-running fans of the franchise were worried about just how much nostalgia and iconic imagery Reitman would include in the next chapter. After the Ghostbusters reboot deviated so much from the original film, specifically with characters, it previously seemed that the franchise's new direction appealed more to unconnected characters and storylines rather than keeping with already established continuity. However, whilst featuring a vastly different location, with Reitman's insurance of connection to the first two iconic films, audiences have become more confident in Ghostbusters: Afterlife's ability to continue the established universe.
The release of the new image only further emphasizes how comfortable audiences should be with the film's nostalgic aspects, including crucial elements of the original continuity, such as the iconic Ecto-1 car and even the original proton guns used by the original ghostbusters. It's clear that Reitman holds respect for his father's work and plans to deliver a worthy Ghostbusters sequel that will honor the original canon's impact. Audiences will have to wait to see the full impact of the franchise's new chapter when Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases on November 19.
Source: USA Today