Ghostbusters, with only two feature films under its belt, is one of the most beloved franchises in movie history. Its fandom is ever-growing and spans worldwide. With two Oscar nominations, a ranking on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs, and selected for film preservation by the National Film Registry, to say that it is a classic might be an understatement.
For the generation that grew up with the original it is a piece of their childhood and now, thanks to Sony Pictures, Ivan Reitman and Ghost Corps. they will be able to celebrate the franchise and share it with an entirely new generation. To celebrate the new film Sony Pictures and Reitman invited us to visit Ghost Corps. for a fun and exciting Ghostbloggers event to chat with Reitman about this beloved franchise.
Then
In 1984, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and produced and directed by 78\45
Reitman, we were transported to New York City in the supernatural comedy Ghostbusters. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), Raymond Stanz (Dan Aykroyd) and Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) are parapsychologists who start a paranormal investigation and extermination service, a ghost-catching business called Ghostbusters, after losing their jobs at Columbia University. In a run-down firehouse, they develop high-tech weapons to catch the ghosts and then contain them. As business booms, they need help and hire a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson). Their eccentric personalities, amazing chemistry, hilarious interactions and memorable ghosts made the film an instant hit. With the love of critics and audiences, the film has become a cherished classic. The overwhelming success led to a sequel, an animated series, and several video games.
While fans begged for yet another film in the franchise it has been more than 20 years since Ghostbusters II was released. Thanks to Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps., the wait is finally over and a new Ghostbusters is heading into theaters this year.
Ghost Corps
Ghost Corps. was formed with Sony Pictures more than a year and a half ago. Reitman told us that it was formed with Sony to help creatively look for new ways to expand the Ghostbusters idea, feeling that there was more life left in the franchise. Surrounded by all of the movie posters that he had a hand in making, Reitman lit up as he talked about the new film, even telling us that this part was terrifying; waiting for the new film to be released to audiences and hoping they will enjoy it as much as he does, lovingly calling it one of his babies. Giving us the tour of the office he showed us into the conference room that held framed patches from Ghostbusters groups from all over the world. Some groups as small as two people, some as many as 30, and all are charity-based, helping to raise money in their communities by dressing up in their Ghostbusters gear with proton packs and Ecto-mobiles they built on their own. Ghostbusters isn’t just adored by the fans, it is adored by its creators, as well and this newest addition is no different, Reitman is extremely happy with the finished product.
Just a few of the patches from #Ghostbusters groups around the world #Ghostbloggers
Now
Get ready for an entirely new generation, and those that loved the original, to fall in love with the new team. The highly anticipated reboot Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig and written by Katie Dippold and Feig, takes us back to the Big Apple to meet our new Ghostbusters.
Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) has a prestigious teaching job at Columbia University and is caught by surprise when an old book she published with then-friend Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), trying to prove to the world that ghosts are real, threatens her position at the university. When there is a ghost sighting in Manhattan, Gilbert heads to find Yates, who has now teamed up with a nuclear engineer, Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), to reluctantly take her to the location of the sighting. Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) is a hard-working subway woman, who after seeing a ghost herself, heads out to find the three women and not only share with them what she saw, but to join them in taking these ghosts down and save New York City from the evil that is haunting it.
With both Feig and Dippold being longtime Ghostbusters fans themselves, the two made sure to service other fans by paying homage to the original and having several cameos in the film of the original Ghostbusters team.
Reitman told us that not only did he think Feig did an amazing job at updating some of the technology that they invented for the film; he even made schematics of all the proton packs so that fans would be able to be as authentic as possible when building their own. It shows the love and care for not only the property but also its loyal fans.
Being able to walk around the Sony lot, taking in all the history that lies within the soundstages, scoring stage and bungalows was spectacular. Standing inside Ghost Corps. with Reitman and seeing the original Ecto-mobile from the 1984 film was priceless.
Ghostbusters is in theaters everywhere in the U.S. on July 15
and don’t forget to check back this week for my interview with the cast and filmmakers, and my full review.
If you want to get in on the action download the Bitmoji app on your phone and you, too, can be a Ghostbuster!
See you at the movies,
Xoxo Krisily
Here a few more pictures from my day
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