There’s a lot of pressure on Jason Reitman’s next film, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” Not only is the film a sequel to the fan-favorite franchise that has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but ‘Afterlife’ is also a family affair for the director, who steps into the shoes of his father, Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two films in the franchise. But it appears that Jason Reitman shouldn’t have to worry too much about gaining his father’s approval, as the elder filmmaker has apparently seen the new ‘Ghostbusters’ and really enjoyed it.
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Speaking to Empire, Jason Reitman talked about the time during the pandemic that his father watched “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and it really does seem as if Ivan Reitman is a fan of what his son has been able to do in the sequel.
“My father hasn’t been leaving the house much because of Covid,” Reitman said. “But he took a test, put on a mask and drove down to the Sony lot to watch the movie with the studio. And after, he cried, and he said, ‘I’m so proud to be your father.’ And it was one of the great moments of my life.”
Of course, even though Jason Reitman is probably just happy that his father approves of the sequel, that doesn’t mean ‘Afterlife’ is a guaranteed hit. In fact, as we saw with the 2016 attempted reboot, “Ghostbusters” has a very passionate fanbase. Though it does help that Reitman is rumored to have three of the original ‘Busters back for appearances in the new film, which should go a long way in earning the favor of the fans.
And another way that Reitman is hoping to capture the magic of the original films is by making sure ‘Afterlife’ keeps the horror element intact.
“The feeling that I’ve kind of held onto is that while it is very funny, it really scared me. It was really my first experience with a horror film,” the filmmaker said. “I was at a Directors Guild meeting and I happened to be sitting next to Steven Spielberg – when I told him I was working on ‘Ghostbusters,’ he out of nowhere said, ‘Library Ghost – top ten scares of all time.’ And it’s true.”
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” has been a victim of the major delays that have forced 2020 films into 2021. So, hopefully, the wait is worth it, when the new sequel arrives in theaters on June 11.
Here’s a new image from the film:
