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Posted in: Movies, Sony | Tagged: film, ghostbusters, ghostbusters: afterlife, sony pictures
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Director Shares His Father's Stance on Sequels
Jason Reitman, the director of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, reveals why his father never chose to return to helm a third installment.
Article Summary
- Jason Reitman shares why father Ivan Reitman avoided directing a Ghostbusters sequel despite the franchise's success.
- Ivan Reitman didn't see the appeal of sequels, preferring new stories over revisiting past films like Ghostbusters.
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife director faced father’s critique on revisiting elements like Gozer and terror dogs in the story.
- Ghostbusters revival balanced nostalgia with fresh narratives, showing value in revisiting classics for a bright future.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife brought the beloved franchise back to life, but a true sequel to the original 1984 hit seemed like a distant dream for decades. Now, director Jason Reitman has revealed the reason why his father, Ivan Reitman, the director of the first two Ghostbusters films, never helmed a third installment: he simply didn't understand the appeal of sequels.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Filmmaker on Why His Father Declined Sequels
In a recent interview with People, Reitman shared insights into his late father's creative philosophy. "My dad never understood sequels," he explained. "My dad was like, 'I don't know why people want to return to this stuff.'" This aversion to revisiting familiar territory stemmed from a desire to explore new stories and characters. Reitman recounted a conversation he had with his father while developing Ghostbusters: Afterlife. "When I wrote [Afterlife], and you meet this girl, and she, like, goes out to Oklahoma, and she finds a proton pack, and my dad's like, 'This is great.'" However, the inclusion of familiar elements, like the terror dogs and Gozer, sparked a different reaction. "And then terror dogs showed up, which is the same thing as '84, and he's like, 'Why Gozer? Why do we need to go back?' He's just like, 'Can I just have a new story?'"
The elder Reitman's reluctance to revisit the Ghostbusters universe likely contributed to the franchise's uneven trajectory. While there were attempts to continue the story through other mediums, such as animated series and video games, a true cinematic sequel remained elusive for decades. It wasn't until his son took the helm with Ghostbusters: Afterlife that the original story finally returned to the big screen, embracing both nostalgia and new storytelling directions. While the original filmmaker may not have fully grasped the appeal of sequels, his son's success with the franchise demonstrates that sometimes, revisiting the past can be a path to a bright future.
What are your thoughts on the modern revival of the Ghostbusters franchise?
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