Here’s Everything Australians Need To Know About Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Ghostbusters holds a special spot in many fan’s hearts and now, 37 years after the original’s release (yes, 37), it’s once again time to call everyone’s favourite parapsychologists. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the latest attempt to revive the franchise. Early reviews of the film have been very positive so it looks like fans are in for a treat with this one.

Here’s what you need to know about the new Ghostbusters film.

Is this a reboot or a sequel?

Unlike 2016’s all-female reboot of the classic movie, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a canon sequel that follows after the events of the first two films.

Here’s what you can expect from the official synopsis:

When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

You can indulge yourself with some modern nostalgia in the latest Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer below.

While it seems Afterlife follows a whole new generation of characters, don’t be deterred because plenty of old faces are coming back for this one.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Cast

When it came to casting and crewing the new Ghostbusters movie, Hollywood knew exactly who to call.

Jason Reitman, aka son of Ivan Reitman who directed the original Ghostbusters, is continuing his father’s legacy as the director of this new film. Ivan is also back as a producer on the film.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife shifts the lens to a younger group of characters.

Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale) star as grandkids of the late Egon Spengler, alongside Carrie Coon (The Leftovers) as their mother. Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) also stars as one of their teachers.

Original Ghostbusters legends, Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts will be reprising their original roles.

What to watch before the new film

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife should provide a pretty easy window into the franchise for newcomers, the original two films should still be considered required viewing prior to this one.

Ghostbusters (1984) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in Australia. Unfortunately, Ghostbusters II is a bit trickier and can only be found for rent or purchase on digital services.

The Ghostbusters (2016) reboot is available to watch on Netflix but Reitman has said Afterlife won’t take into account anything from this film.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Australian release date

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is scheduled for release in Australian cinemas on January 1, 2022.

It was originally meant to release on December 2 but local cinema listings now have it slated for January, presumably to allow time for all cinemas in the country to re-open.

Release dates for films are pretty fluid at this point so we’ll let you know if Ghostbusters: Afterlife shifts dates again!