Ghostbusters Afterlife release date, trailers, cast, Bill Murray interview and latest news

Ghostbusters Afterlife
(Image credit: Sony Pictures via YouTube)

Who ya gonna call ... to go see Ghostbusters Afterlife with you this fall? Yes, we've got another Ghostbusters movie on our hands, and this one ups the nostalgia factor with its casting and new characters. Just look at that miniature Stay-Puft. He's adorable.

The big story of Ghostbusters Afterlife is that this is essentially a second reboot of sorts for the franchise. Directed by Jason Reitman (whose father Ivan Reitman directed the original), Ghostbusters Afterlife doesn't factor in the events of Paul Feig's 2016 Ghostbusters movie — and brings the world of busting ghosts to the last place we expected: Oklahoma. 

Ghostbusters Afterlife latest news (updated April 7)

  • Tiny Stay-Puft men get burned alive in the new Ghostbusters Afterlife clip
  • Bill Murray said it's good that Ghostbusters Afterlife was "really hard" to film

Ghostbusters Afterlife release date

The Ghostbusters Afterlife release date has moved around more times than Slimer haunting a buffet. Originally set for July 2020, the release date was then moved to June 11, 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, it's slated for a November 11, 2021 release.

Or at least that's the date we've heard officially. The clips and trailers tell a different story. 

Ghostbusters Afterlife trailers

First there was Baby Groot. Then there was Baby Yoda. Now, we have Mini-Pufts to deliver a mix of adorable and dangerous manic energy. In this clip, Mr. Grooberson discovers something's not right with his local grocery store's bag of marshmallows. 

The first Ghostbusters Afterlife trailer puts a soft reset on the Ghostbusters world we know, taking us out of Manhattan and the firehouse and going to Summerville, Oklahoma. That's where Trevor, along with his mother Callie and sister Phoebe, have moved, to live in their late grandfather's home because they're broke. And then things get spooky.

A green light shoots out and we learn that Trevor's got a teacher who knows all about ghosts. That's Mr. Grooberson, and he knows all about the Ghostbusters and their equipment too. And along the way, Trevor and Phoebe will learn about their connections to the original Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters Afterlife cast

Ghostbusters Afterlife has a very Stranger Things feel, not just for the film's aesthetics but its casting of Hawkins' own Mike Wheeler — Finn Wolfhard — as Trevor. The other big name at the top of the bill is Paul Rudd, who plays Mr. Grooberson, a teacher and Ghostbusters history aficionado. 

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts will be reprising their original roles, and the absence of the late Harold Ramis will not be ignored. The trailer hints that Trevor's family is related to Ramis' character Egon Spengler.

  • Mckenna Grace as Phoebe
  • Finn Wolfhard as Trevor
  • Carrie Coon as Callie
  • Paul Rudd as Mr. Grooberson
  • Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman
  • Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz
  • Ernie Hudson as Dr. Winston Zeddemore
  • Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett
  • Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz
  • J. K. Simmons in a TBA role

Ghostbusters Afterlife: Bill Murray interview

Speaking to Collider, Bill Murray explained the difficult nature of making Ghostbusters Afterlife, stating "It was hard. It was really hard. That’s why I think it’s gonna be good."

The role was difficult, he elaborated, because of the amount of work that went in, stating "Wearing those packs is extremely uncomfortable. We had batteries the size of batteries. They now have batteries the size of earrings. It’s still a really heavy thing to wear, all the time. ... It was very uncomfortable. Usually, when something has a very high misery quotient, something comes of that and some quality is produced that, if you can capture it and project it, comes on the screen and affects you."

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.