Filming is underway on the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (watch it HERE), which is scheduled to reach theatres on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – and if you want to remain SPOILER free, you should back out of this article right now. That’s because a few set pics have shown up online, and they reveal a couple things about the sequel you might not want to know already.
If you don’t mind being spoiled, here we go: Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel set pics published by the Daily Mail show Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, one of the original Ghostbusters. That’s not a spoiler, we already knew Hudson was coming back – and in fact, it has been said that “The character of Winston Zeddemore and Zeddemore Industries figures strongly into the future of Ghostbusters.” Also in these images is Paul Rudd as his Afterlife character Gary Grooberson… and this is a bit more spoilery, because it sure looks like Rudd is wearing a Ghostbusters uniform under the shroud that was supposed to keep his wardrobe hidden. And here’s another spoiler from these set pics: William Atherton is reprising the role of Walter Peck, the antagonistic EPA inspector from the first Ghostbusters film!
Atherton was asked to appear as Peck in Ghostbusters II back in 1989, but the deal fell apart and the character was written out of the script. Decades later, he is finally back in the role.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace are back for the sequel, reprising the roles of Trevor and Phoebe. They’re joined in the cast by Carrie Coon, playing Trevor and Phoebe’s mom Callie, plus the actors mentioned above and new additions Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens), James Acaster (Hypothetical), and Emily Alyn Lind (Doctor Sleep).
At first, Afterlife director Jason Reitman was expected to take the helm, once again directing from a screenplay he was writing with Gil Kenan – but then it was revealed that Kenan will actually be directing the new film. He previously directed the animated movie Monster House, the live-action films City of Ember, A Boy Called Christmas, and the remake of Poltergeist, and an episode of the Scream TV series.
When he took the directing job, Kenan said, “It’s an absolute honor to pick up the proton pack and step behind the camera for the next chapter of the Spengler family saga. I just wish I could go back to 1984 and tell the kid in the sixth row of the Mann Valley West that one day he was going to get to direct a Ghostbusters film.“
Reitman added, “A few years ago, my father (Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II director Ivan Reitman) handed me the keys to Ecto-1 and together we made Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Words will never express how grateful I am to have made a film with my father by my side. It’s now time to hand those keys to my creative partner and fellow Ghostbuster Gil Kenan, a brilliant director who will keep the Spengler spirit alive. I can only hope to provide him the same producorial care and support that my father showed me.“
What do you think of the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel set pics? Are you looking forward to seeing Walter Peck again? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.