Over the weekend, a Ghostbusters fan event in Los Angeles celebrated the 35th birthday of the classic supernatural comedy. In attendance were director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two films; Paul Feig, who directed 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call; as well as Reitman’s son, Jason, who’s directing an all-new take on the classic franchise.
Speaking to the crowd (quotes via Cinema Blend), the younger Reitman teased what the initial inspiration for his film was.
“This character came to me. She was a 12-year-old girl. I didn’t know who she was or why she popped into my head, but I saw her with a proton pack in her hand. And I wrote this story. This story began to form over many years actually. It started with a girl and all of a sudden it was a family. And eventually, I knew this movie that I needed to make, that I needed to write.“
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He also confirmed the 12-year-old would be played by Mckenna Grace (Captain Marvel), with Carrie Coon (The Leftovers) playing her mother. He also didn’t confirm the story that Sigourney Weaver and her co-stars from the original would be in the new film — but he didn’t deny it, either.
Reitman also thanked Feig “for kicking down the door on what a Ghostbuster and who a Ghostbuster can be.” While he didn’t give away any other specifics, he did confirm that “It’s a new movie. It’s really about a new set of characters. It takes place in a new place, a new location.“
We also know that Reitman, who had a cameo in 1990’s Ghostbusters 2, will be co-writing the script with Gil Kenan (Monster House, Poltergeist), who is no stranger to ghost stories. The new Ghostbusters is slated to drop in theaters on July 10, 2020.
