Ghostbusters’ Jason Reitman Reveals Dad Ivan’s Brutally Honest Take On Sequels And Addresses A Weird Detail From The Franchise I’ve Wondered About For Years

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The Ghostbusters series has remained a favorite among audiences since its first movie premiered in 1984, even though it’s been largely inactive for most of that time. Initially, the franchise produced two films during the ’80s, but fans eagerly anticipated a third Ghostbusters installment that unfortunately never came to fruition. Although Bill Murray’s reluctance to participate in Ghostbusters 3 was frequently cited as one of the main reasons for its delay, it seems he wasn’t the sole roadblock.

Jason Reitman, who helmed the latest two Ghostbusters films and is the son of original series director Ivan Reitman, recently disclosed that his father generally had minimal affection for the idea of sequels, which also encompassed an unusual aspect of the franchise’s history – the sole instance when his father did indeed direct a sequel.

Ghostbusters Director Ivan Reitman Hated Sequels

Jason Reitman recently chatted on the Blocks Podcast with Neil Brennan, sharing insights about his entire film career. During their conversation about Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jason Reitman Jr. shared an interesting perspective – his father, Ivan Reitman, didn’t grasp why many moviegoers desired a return to the past. It seems that Ivan Reitman appreciated the innovative concepts presented in Ghostbusters: Afterlife more, but found less appeal in aspects closely tied to the original film’s plot points. Jason Reitman mentioned…

My father had trouble appreciating sequels, often expressing confusion about why people wanted to revisit old stories. For instance, when I wrote “Afterlife” and introduced a girl who went to Oklahoma, found a proton pack, and encountered terror dogs similar to those in ’84, he initially liked it. However, the appearance of Gozer and the need to revisit the past left him puzzled, asking for a fresh story instead. I believe this may have contributed to the inconsistent longevity of the Ghostbusters franchise over the years, as my father lost interest after the original film and moved on to other projects like “Twins.

It’s clear that Ivan Reitman wasn’t particularly fond of making sequels. He only directed one, which was “Ghostbusters II”. In an interview for our podcast ReelBlend, he stated that he wouldn’t have directed “Ghostbusters 3” if it had ever been made. Fans have longed for a sequel to another of his popular movies, “Twins”, but the closest Ivan Reitman came was directing “Junior”, a comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito with an entirely new storyline – a concept that seems similar to what Jason Reitman is discussing now.

The Ghostbusters II Logo Appearing In The Film Was “Probably A Mistake”

It’s acceptable to assert that Ivan Reitman wasn’t fond of sequels, and there are clear indications supporting this claim. One peculiarity in the movie “Ghostbusters II” is the presence of the film’s logo on the side of the Ghostbusters car, a detail that contradicts the narrative context of the movie. Interestingly enough, Jason Reitman once enquired about this inconsistency, and his father’s response suggests that it was an insignificant detail to him at the time…

My father’s feelings about sequels were evident in his reaction to Ghostbusters II: he didn’t seem to notice or care that the Ecto-1 car in the movie had the logo of the sequel on it. Years later, I asked him about this apparent inconsistency, wondering if the Ghostbusters were aware they were making a sequel and why their car would bear the sequel’s logo. My father replied, “Oh, probably just a mistake.

It appears that while Ivan Reitman may have been reluctant towards sequels, Jason Reitman seems unfazed by them. At this point, a third Ghostbusters film, which was unlikely in the ’80s, now seems more probable within the current franchise than ever before, though there’s no confirmation yet about a sequel to “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

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2025-01-30 01:37