I’m gonna be real with you: I didn’t love the first trailer
for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the much-anticipated follow-up to Jason
Reitman’s surprisingly good and immensely tear-inducing Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Based on that initial trailer, the new film seemed like a lifeless retread and,
at worst, generic.
Having seen the new trailer for Frozen Empire – I still don’t
love the title – I’m a lot more optimistic. Could it be because it’s absolutely
loaded with fan service? Probably. But it’s also got a miniature Stay-Puft
Marshmallow Man happily getting his arm shredded in a pencil sharpener. See?
Franchises can give you something new these days, ya cynics.
But, yeah. About the absolute smattering of fan service … We’ve
got William Atherton back as Walter Peck, we’ve got Janine Melnitz in uniform.
We’ve got Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson involved for more than an
end-of-movie cameo. We’ve got a return to the New York Public Library and the
re-emergence of the Librarian Ghost that’s been giving me nightmares for 37
years. We’ve also got Slimer, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd slinging
a particle throw and a brand-new ghost villain who ISN’T Gozer.
But perhaps my favorite thing in the trailer is the fact
that Rudd’s character actually seems to quote the Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters
theme, which means that it actually exists in-universe. And based on Carrie
Coons/Callie Spengler’s reaction, they have the same mixed emotions about that “bustin’
makes me feel good” line as we do in our world.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is directed by Gil Kenan
and hits theaters March 22. Watch the trailer below!