The latest full-length trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife dropped yesterday, and while it’s an undeniably solid promo that sets the stage nicely and features a strong balance between explaining where the mythology is at today while still tipping its hat to the original, the footage is coming under criticism from certain sections of the fanbase.
Legacy sequels are all the rage these days, and Afterlife seems to be taking that to heart more than perhaps any other hybrid of sequel and reboot in recent memory, and that’s even if we completely ignore the fact director Jason Reitman is taking over from his father Ivan behind the camera, keeping the franchise all in the family.
The trailer has visual nods, winks, a Janine cameo, a stinger teasing the return of Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman and the entire narrative appears to be hinged on the late Harold Ramis, with Egon’s family moving into his home in the middle of nowhere and discovering his past as a member of the Ghostbusters.
However, one key component of the mythos was missing entirely, and as you can see below, some fans are asking why there aren’t any jokes or humor in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Of course, the movie isn’t coming to theaters until November, so we’re guaranteed at least one more trailer that could paint an entirely different sort of picture. The cast and crew will be fully aware that Ghostbusters was defined by its rich vein of humor just as much as the set pieces, and it’s still regarded as one of the most beloved studio comedies ever made. Ghostbusters: Afterlife has opted for a self-serious and somber tone for now, then, but we’ll see if that ends up being reflective of the finished product.