Bill Murray is confident fans are going to love the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife, out this summer, because the ‘script is good’ and has ‘lots of emotion in it.’
The 69-year-old Lost In Translation actor is reprising his role as parapsychologist Dr. Peter Venkman in the film — which is a direct sequel to the original 1984 Ghostbusters and 1989’s Ghostbusters II — and he agreed to come back to the supernatural comedy franchise after being impressed with the story written by director Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan.
‘The script is good. It’s got lots of emotion in it. It’s got lots of family in it, with through lines that are really interesting. It’s gonna work,’ he told Vanity Fair.
Venkman himself: Bill Murray is confident fans are going to love the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife, out this summer, because the ‘script is good’ and has ‘lots of emotion in it’
Back for more trouble: Murray is reprising his role as parapsychologist Dr. Peter Venkman in the film — which is a direct continuation of the original 1984 Ghostbusters and the 1989 sequel
Jason — whose father Ivan Reitman helmed the first two movies — also persuaded Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts to reprise their roles as Dr. Raymond ‘Ray’ Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Dana Barrett and Janine Melnitz, respectively.
Rick Moranis, whose zany antics were a hallmark of the first two films, is not returning, since he retired from acting well over a decade ago.
But another major part of the squad not returning is Ghostbusters co-creator Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the first two films and played nerdy Dr. Egon Spengler, as the actor passed away in 2014 from a form of vasculitis at the age of 69.
Murray insists it is the loss of Spengler that drives the entire plot of the third film, and that the movie is a fitting tribute to his late co-star.
Dearly departed: A major part of the squad not returning is Ghostbusters co-creator Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the first two films and played nerdy Dr. Egon Spengler, as the actor passed away in 2014
The originals: Murray (left) starred with Dan Aykroyd (center) and Ramis (right) in the first film in 1984; Aykroyd and Ramis wrote the script for the movie together
The Stripes star said: ‘Well, we are a man down,’ in reference to Ramis, who was also a director in his own right, of popular Bill Murray movies such as Caddyshack and Groundhog Day.
‘That’s the deal. And that’s the story that we’re telling, that’s the story they’ve written,’ Murray continued.
Jason, 42, admits he made Ghostbusters: Afterlife as a tribute to his dad Ivan, 73, because of the joy they shared together as father and son from his two movies.
Juno filmmaker Jason said: ‘If I think about who I’m making this movie for, it’s my father. We all know what it’s like to be told stories by our parents. I’m really honored to get a chance to tell one back to him from the world he brought to life.’
Carrying in dad’s footsteps: Jason Reitman says he made Ghostbusters: Afterlife as a tribute to his dad Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two films
The source: Jason said of his dad, ‘If I think about who I’m making this movie for, it’s my father. We all know what it’s like to be told stories by our parents. I’m really honored to get a chance to tell one back to him from the world he brought to life’
While specific details regarding the plot of the new film have been kept largely secretive, the trailer for the movie introduces some of the new characters as well as a new, less urban setting from the first two installments.
The Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast includes Paul Rudd, The Leftovers’ Carrie Coon, Troop Zero‘s Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard, of Stranger Things fame.
Set 30 years after the paranormal phenomena from the first movies ended, Afterlife centers on a down-on-her-luck single mother (Coon) who arrives in a small town with her two children (Wolfhard and Grace) to move in to an abandoned farmhouse left to the family by her late father.
Several clues in the trailer point to the theory that her dad was in fact Egon Spengler, the fourth Ghostbuster who was played by Ramis.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be released in theaters on July 10.
Next generation: The Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast includes Paul Rudd (left) and is set 30 years after the paranormal phenomena from the first two movies ended