We’ve certainly gotten our share of documentaries about the original 1984 Ghostbusters, with perhaps the best of the bunch, Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters getting a theatrical re-release this Friday in the lead-up to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. But what about the much-maligned sequel? Well, it looks as though a new Ghostbusters II documentary is in the works, and it’s set to be a feature-length affair.
Indeed, it comes from the same folks behind Cleanin’ Up the Town, with the doc appropriately titled, Too Hot to Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II. The documentary has been in the works for some time, with Anthony and Claire Bueno’s Ghostbusters II documentary restarting production after being on hiatus for a few years. As a result, the filmmakers were able to secure an interview with Harold Ramis before his passing, with Deadline revealing that Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Ivan Reitman, producers Joe Medjuck and Michael C. Gross, ILM’s Dennis Muren and Dan Aykroyd all sat for interviews. They even managed to score Ghostbuster II composer Randy Edelman, who’s composing an all-new score for the documentary.
No word yet on when the documentary will debut, but Bueno suggests it will be a mostly celebratory affair, even if it’s not as beloved as the original. “Contrary to popular belief, Ghostbusters II has a huge following,” Bueno told Deadline, “but its making-of has a very different story to tell, compared to its processor, which as a filmmaker presents new and exciting challenges with regards to our storytelling…we are working diligently to deliver a respectful, but honest account of the making of Ghostbusters II.”
Speaking for myself, I always at least liked Ghostbusters II. It’s nowhere near as good as the original, and one of my big problems with the film is the lack of Elmer Bernstein as its composer, but it’s still a fun follow-up. I saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife at CinemaCon, but I’m still not allowed to comment on the film other than to say that I had a blast. In some ways, it’s the Ghostbusters III we never got. It opens in theatres in November.
What are your thoughts on Ghostbusters II?