The new, female-centric Ghostbusters is well on the way to the big screen at this point, and we know that the reboot will change the world in key ways (for instance, Chris Hemsworth takes over the receptionist role originally played by Annie Potts). While it promises to be a very different thing, the question remains, will this new Ghostbusters acknowledge what came before, and, according to Dan Aykroyd, the answer is yes.
Co-creator, one of the original beige jumpsuit wearing paranormal investigators, and the driving force behind years and years worth of Ghostbusters chatter, Aykroyd sat down with Spinoff Online and when the subject of the legacy of the first previous films came up, He said:
It refers to the first two in a really neat, classy way, but this is all going to introduce them to a whole new generation of girls that are going to want to be Ghostbusters. We always needed them.
At this point it’s unclear what connection, if any, there will be between the world of the original films—the 1984 Ghostbusters and the 1989 sequel—and this new version. From what we know, it doesn’t sound like there will be many overt links, but that they are going to pay tribute to the earlier installments. Aykroyd also said that though his character, Ray Stantz, isn’t currently slated to make an appearance, he’s ready and willing should that call come. He did praise the upcoming film, calling it:
Oh, man, it’s funny. It’s intelligent. It hits the right notes, and I’m really excited about it.
Though the script is still being tweaked, even though filming is supposedly going to begin as early as this week in Boston per some reports, plot details are starting to come out. According to the most recent news, the movie begins focused on two characters, one played by Melissa McCarthy, the other by Kristen Wiig. The two write a book about how ghosts are real and they’re among us, though no one really pays any attention. That is until some years later when Wiig’s character gets a teaching position at Columbia University, and once the book is discovered, she gets laughed out of the hallowed halls of academia. This is the point where she reunites with her old pal, and hooks up with two other partners, played by Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, and the gang gets down to the serious business of busting ghosts.
There isn’t much to know about the villain or villains in the film, but some reports indicate that Slimer could make his way back to the franchise, which would be fun for fans. We’ve also heard rumblings of potential cameos, like Aykroyd himself and possibly Bill Murray, though there is nothing official or particularly solid to those tidbits.
Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), Ghostbusters is expected to film throughout the summer, and Sony has already scheduled a July 22, 2016 release date.
