There’s something strange in the neighborhood. Sony Pictures has just released the first clip from Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and it takes the sequel’s clear reverence for the past into some unexpected new directions.
The clip features Paul Rudd's character shopping for a sweet treat. He ends up getting more than he bargained for when the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man shows up — only, rather than being 8 stories tall, he’s the size of a regular marshmallow. But as Rudd quickly discovers, that “Mini-Puft” isn’t alone, and he doesn’t exactly come in peace. Fortunately, their malevolence doesn’t seem to have any specific target, as the marshmallow men seem content to literally roast and make s’mores of each other.
It’s a shockingly disturbing twist on the original Ghostbusters’ main set piece, finding both the horror and the comedy in shrinking down that particular icon. Which might well be a great blueprint for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which finds literal children stepping into the role of Ghostbusters. And actually, with the project directed by Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, that formula may hold true behind the scenes, as well.
Originally slated for release in July 2020, the film has been pushed back several times due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Today’s clip is a good sign Sony is committed to the current plans for a fall 2021 release, though they still haven’t announced a firm date.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace as young siblings who move with their mother (Carrie Coon) to a small town in Oklahoma after inheriting a house from their estranged grandfather. Much of the original cast will return (including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts) alongside new cast members Logan Kim, J.K. Simmons, Bokeem Woodbine, and Tracy Letts. The script was written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is scheduled to arrive in fall 2021. Check out the clip below.