Finn Wolfhard didn’t think he’d be cast in writer/director Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Wolfhard is best known for playing Mike Wheeler and combating the “strange things” that plague the inhabitants of Hawkins, Indiana, in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things and his comedic role in 2017’s IT. In the former, Wolfhard and his costars famously don traditional Ghostbusters attire for Halloween. Wolfhard does so again, this time for real, in one of the most beloved paranormal comedy franchises of all time.

Afterlife follows Callie (Carrie Coon), the daughter of Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis), and her kids, Phoebe (McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfard), who move to their late grandfather's farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma. The film will bypass 2016’s reboot and act as a direct sequel to Ivan Reitman’s original films from 1984 and 1989 as Phoebe and Trevor discover Egon's Ecto-1 and other Ghostbusters equipment, simultaneously introducing the franchise to a new generation. Paul Rudd rounds out the cast as the kid's teacher, Mr. Grooberson. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will also feature cameos from members of the original cast including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and see the possible return of Gozer the Gozerian.

Related: Ghostbusters: The Strange True Story Behind The Iconic Theme Song

Jason Reitman, producer Ivan Reitman, co-writer Gil Kenan, and the Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast including Carrie Coon, Celeste O’Conner, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, and Finn Wolfhard attended the film’s panel at New York Comic Con (via THW). In addition to a surprise screening for those in attendance, the cast spent time talking about their characters and the casting process. In particular, Wolfhard spoke on how he didn’t know what he was auditioning for when he sent in his tape and didn’t expect to be cast. Read what he had to say below:

“I didn’t think I was going to be cast because I was already in Stranger Things,” said Wolfhard. “I had worn the [Ghostbusters] costume in an episode and I thought maybe that would rub Jason the wrong way but I just immediately said yes.”

Finn Wolfhard Ghostbusters 3

With Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jason Reitman has said that he hopes to honor his father’s films while “opening the universe to all kinds of stories.” Long-time fans of the franchise have waited a long time for a unique follow-up and the 2016 Ghosbusters reboot felt too much like a cheap imitation that lacked heart. Originally, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was supposed to release in theaters in July 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it will hit theaters on November 19, 2021.

With both Reitmans involvedGhostbusters: Afterlife looks to be the perfect blend of old and new. Based on the trailers alone, the film certainly seems to have a much more serious tone akin to projects like Stranger Things—which makes Wolfhard’s casting pitch-perfect. However, it remains to be seen if he's afraid of ghosts. If he isn't, and Sony manages to capitalize on nostalgia in the same way as Netflix, audiences should be seeing more of Wolfhard driving the Ecto-1 in the future.

More: The Original Ghostbusters Script Was A Very Different Movie

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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