Conan O’Brien has landed a voice role in ‘Toy Story 5.’
He’ll bring the character of Smarty Pants to life.
The new movie will see our heroes challenged by new technology.
The ‘Toy Story’ movies have never exactly been short on star power, starting at the top with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen playing iconic duo Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
For the fifth entry –– yes, Pixar, while still putting out original movies is still also happy to lean on its veteran franchises when the right idea strikes –– some new blood has been recruited.
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Well, we say new… It’s perhaps a little tough to use that designator since Conan O’Brien (for it is he) has been working since the 1980s and has made a career largely as a comedy writer but also as a TV host for late night and a variety of other projects, including returning to host next year’s Academy Awards after a successful first time this past March.
For ‘Toy Story 5,’ O’Brien will voice the role of a new character called Smarty Pants, who we can imagine will be a witty but probably troublesome type for our regulars to run up against.
Disney announced O’Brien’s casting as part of the Consumer Products section of its Licensing Expo presentation on Monday. And the performer talked about landing the role on Instagram, joking that he’d hoped to play either Buzz or Woody, but is now convinced that Smarty Pants is the best role he could have won:
(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’
In case you forgot (since it was released back in 2019), ‘Toy Story 4’ ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways when the former joined Bo Peep (Annie Potts) to live a life as a “lost toy,” free from the constraints of being owned by a child.
Throughout the film, Woody struggled to find his place with Bonnie, as she no longer needed him as much as Andy did. Buzz, understanding Woody’s choice, assured him that Bonnie would be okay without him and supported Woody’s decision to start a new chapter.
Meanwhile, Buzz stayed with Bonnie, continuing to live with Jessie, Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and other toys, including the new addition of Forky (Tony Hale).
Stanton revealed at the last D23 that the central conflict of the latest film will involve the toys grappling with staying relevant in the age of technology.
The concept art revealed at the same event shows the toys looking sadly at their owner engrossed in a tablet, hinting at the emotional and humorous struggles they will face as they try to reclaim the child’s attention.
And Tim Allen has also been talking about the new movie.
“It’s a very, very clever story. I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it. It’s really clever. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It’s gonna be fun. I think we’re a year out. I’ve gotten up to the third act. We’ll do the third act. And then, we’ll go back and clean it. And then, I’ll do it about five more times. It’s a really good story, guys. It’s really good.”
“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie,” he said. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”
Who else is working on ‘Toy Story 5’?
Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.
Few other details have been revealed about the new movie for either side of the camera.
We do know that McKenna Harris, who has worked on several other Pixar titles in various capabilities, is co-directing the movie with Stanton, and the latter worked on the script.
Beyond Allen and more recently Ernie Hudson (who inherits the role of Combat Carl from Carl Weathers), there has been no confirmation on the cast, but Hanks will naturally return and word on Jessie surely points to Joan Cusack already having recorded some material.
We’d be shocked if most of the main voice cast –– at least those whose characters feature prominently –– wouldn’t be back.
Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.
Preview:
Ernie Hudson will be the voice of Combat Carl in ‘Toy Story 5.’
Carl Weathers previously played the role.
The new ‘Toy Story’ is due out next year.
While ‘Elio’ is the next Pixar project to hit the big screen (June 20th, in case you were wondering), there is naturally a lot of attention on the company’s next dive into franchise territory, and one of its biggest hitters returning to theaters with ‘Toy Story 5’ due next year.
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With Woody, Buzz and the gang back for more adventure, word arrives via TMZ of all places that there has been some necessary recasting among the voice ranks for the new movie.
Carl Weathers is Greef Karga in ‘The Mandalorian,’ season two, exclusively on Disney+
Following the sad death last year of Carl Weathers, the role of Combat Carl –– which Weathers performed in the 2013 TV special ‘Toy Story of Terror!’ and the most recent big screen outing, ‘Toy Story 4,’ genre stalwart Ernie Hudson will instead report for duty to provide the voice for the military man.
It’s not the first piece of re-casting in the ‘Toy Story’ world, since Blake Clark took over the role of Slinky Dog from the late Jim Varney a few years ago.
(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’
In case you forgot (since it was released back in 2019), ‘Toy Story 4’ ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways when the former joined Bo Peep (Annie Potts) to live a life as a “lost toy,” free from the constraints of being owned by a child.
Throughout the film, Woody struggled to find his place with Bonnie, as she no longer needed him as much as Andy did. Buzz, understanding Woody’s choice, assured him that Bonnie would be okay without him and supported Woody’s decision to start a new chapter.
Meanwhile, Buzz stayed with Bonnie, continuing to live with Jessie, Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm (John Ratzenberger) and other toys, including the new addition of Forky (Tony Hale).
Director Andrew Stanton, returning to the franchise for the first time in years, revealed at the last D23 that the central conflict of the latest film will involve the toys grappling with staying relevant in the age of technology.
The concept art revealed at the same event shows the toys looking sadly at their owner engrossed in a tablet, hinting at the emotional and humorous struggles they will face as they try to reclaim the child’s attention.
And Tim Allen has also been talking about the new movie.
“It’s a very, very clever story. I don’t really believe it’s about the money. I’m sure they want it to be a success, but that’s not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it. It’s really clever. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear, to be honest. It’s gonna be fun. I think we’re a year out. I’ve gotten up to the third act. We’ll do the third act. And then, we’ll go back and clean it. And then, I’ll do it about five more times. It’s a really good story, guys. It’s really good.”
“I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie,” he said. “Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — do realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyears. I can give you that, but I can’t give you much more.”
Few other details have been revealed about the new movie for either side of the camera.
We do know that McKenna Harris, who has worked on several other Pixar titles in various capabilities, is co-directing the movie with Stanton, and the latter worked on the script.
Beyond Allen and now Hudson, there has been no confirmation on the cast, but Hanks will return and word on Jessie surely points to Joan Cusack already having recorded some material.
We’d be shocked if most of the main voice cast –– at least those whose characters feature prominently –– wouldn’t be back.
The follow up to 2021’s ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ sees the Spengler Family fully embracing their new lives as Ghostbusters, roaming all over New York City investigating paranormal activities and trapping ghosts. All of that ghost catching comes with a price when they find out the spirit containment unit is at full capacity. On top of it all, an ancient entity has been unleashed, ready to turn the world into his icy playground.
Did you miss this paranormal adventure on the big screen? Don’t worry, the movie is now available on VOD for rent or purchase, so you can watch it from the comfort of your couch or your personal Ecto-1.
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes. As of April 30, 2024, the movie was made available to rent for $19.99 or purchase for $24.99 on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
With ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ raking in over $198.9 million at the global box office, it has become the fourth biggest movie of 2024 so far. Despite the low critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the fans enjoyed the movie, garnering it an 83% audience score. It’s easy to see why the moviegoers enjoyed this chapter in the Ghostbusters franchise. The nostalgia hits hard when the film reunites the original Ghostbusters cast members as they take up their uniforms and proton packs for another round of ghostbusting.
While there has not been any confirmed plans for the next Ghostbusters movie, it is clear its original cast members loves being a part of the story and legacy.
“Well, it’s been over half my life, 40 years of ‘Ghostbusters’. I’ve been Winston Zeddemore to people I meet on the street and everywhere. So, it’s hard to separate me from the role, and the fact that it’s still current, that people still love it, wherever I go in the world ‘Ghostbusters’ fans will show up, and express to me how much the movie has meant to them, and their families. So yes. It’s just very exciting, and I’m just so thankful that it has relevance in these 40 years after the fact. No way could I have imagined that this would be happening. But it is happening, and it’s wonderful. As an actor, I’ve done a lot of movies over the years, and it’s great to have one that people really connect to and hold onto.”
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD on June 25th. Collectors can also look forward to a 2-film collection set, which will include both ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Frozen Empire.’ The home release will feature bonus content such as:
Return to the Firehouse: Making of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’
Watch the official trailers for ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ is below:
The Spengler family returns to where it all started — the iconic New York City firehouse — to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with original Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson about his work on ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,’ the legacy of the franchise, Winston Zeddemore’s new position on the team, and reuniting with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Hudson, Mckenna Grace and Emily Alyn Lind.
Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, you made the first ‘Ghostbusters’ over 40 years ago. What has it meant to you personally to be part of this franchise, to see it grow and become beloved, and return for ‘Frozen Empire’?
Ernie Hudson: Well, it’s been over half my life, 40 years of ‘Ghostbusters’. I’ve been Winston Zeddemore to people I meet on the street and everywhere. So, it’s hard to separate me from the role, and the fact that it’s still current, that people still love it, wherever I go in the world ‘Ghostbusters’ fans will show up, and express to me how much the movie has meant to them, and their families. So yes. It’s just very exciting, and I’m just so thankful that it has relevance in these 40 years after the fact. No way could I have imagined that this would be happening. But it is happening, and it’s wonderful. As an actor, I’ve done a lot of movies over the years, and it’s great to have one that people really connect to and hold onto.
MF: Can you talk about Winston’s role in the Ghostbusters research center in ‘Frozen Empire’ and is he now the official leader of the team?
EH: Well, I think he’s stepped into that role. With Winston, it was very important for me, and thankfully Sony and Jason Reitman, heard what I was hoping for. Winston has grown. It’s been 40 years, but he hasn’t stayed in the same place. He’s done very well. He’s a businessman, but he’s always loved the Ghostbusters. He’s always appreciated the fact that these guys gave him a job when he really needed it. But he’s also developed a curiosity in those first two movies of what was going on. What I love about ‘Frozen Empire’ is we get a chance to see Winston not only has done well in life, but he also has built this Ghostbuster research center looking into what’s behind these ghosts. A lot of that comes out of over the years that I’ve done a lot of conventions. I meet a lot of families, and they tell me their stories. Some are scary, but people share a lot of feelings because I’m a Ghostbuster, I must understand what they’re going through. I don’t always, but I love the fact that Winston has created a place to explore, and to investigate those things, also, how those things impact our lives. It’s not just trapping them and putting them away. So yeah. I’m happy that he’s not just a guy still looking for a job, and I think he’s really, I hope, an inspiration of what’s possible, especially to a lot of young kids. The town I grew up in, in June, they’re naming the street I grew up on after me. In life, you hope that you can be an example. I hope in the ‘Ghostbusters’ universe Winston is an example of what is achievable, what is doable, and still holds onto his humanity. I see so many stories of people achieving things, but somehow in the process, they’ve lost their connection with the community, and with who they are, and Winston loves the Ghostbusters. All of that is very important to me.
(L to R) Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd attend the New York World Premiere of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater. Photo: Marion Curtis / StarPix for Sony Pictures.
MF: Finally, you have a very emotional scene in the movie with Dan Aykroyd. What was it like shooting that scene with him and reuniting with Aykroyd and Bill Murray?
EH: Well, of course they’re geniuses. Honestly, I’m an actor, not just an actor, but I love what I do. But Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, they come up with stuff that it just boggles the mind. I love working with them, and Danny especially, who I think doesn’t always get the credit (he deserves). Danny’s a wonderful actor. He is very down to Earth, and he brings a reality too. I love the first movie where we had the scene in the car. A lot of fans still will bring that up, but (I love) anytime I get a chance to work with Danny, because he’s there a hundred percent completely. I think (in that scene) with the idea of retiring, basically Winston is saying (to Ray), “We can’t be running around here now. You’ll fall down and hurt yourself.” I love that scene. I just love working with Danny Aykroyd. I really appreciate him. With Bill Murray, it’s easy for me to say things too. I think he knows how much I really appreciate him, but with Danny, sometimes it’s hard for me to to let him know how much I really appreciate him. But I just think he’s an amazing talent.
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What is the plot of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’?
The Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’?
Ernie Hudson Jr. at the London photocall of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ on March 21, 2024 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Columbia Pictures.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Franchise:
With all the throat-clearing and reintroductions of ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ behind us, it might be natural to think that ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ could forge ahead into a new story and era with the next generation of paranormal investigators. But no, ‘Frozen Empire’ rounds up a large ensemble of both old and new cast members and gives almost all of them nothing to do, except stand around and spout either tired jokes or even more tiring exposition.
Five films in, this remains a property that is firmly mired in past glories – or, to be exact, the memory of one glorious film that came out 40 years ago. But it’s resoundingly clear that this should never have been a franchise in the first place, and ‘Frozen Empire’ is a hollow example of corporate mandates at their worst. Director/co-writer Gil Kenan (who also co-wrote ‘Afterlife’) and co-writer Jason Reitman (who directed ‘Afterlife’) have no new ideas and nothing to say, and it’s only the work of a handful of the actors that holds – barely – one’s attention.
It’s two years since the events of ‘Afterlife’ and the descendants of Egon Spengler – his daughter Callie (Carrie Coon), her kids Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), along with surrogate dad/scientist Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) – have relocated to New York City and now have taken over the Ghostbusters business, working and living in the old firehouse where the original Ghostbusters did the same.
As for the originals, they continue to do paranormal research at a fully equipped lab financed by Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), with Ray Stentz (Dan Aykroyd) offering advice to the new team and Winston’s staff of engineers working on new and improved equipment.
After an initially promising opening in which we see Phoebe, Callie, Finn, and Gary head out in the Ecto-1 for an energetic pursuit of a Sewer Dragon, ‘Frozen Empire’ settles into an hour and a half of tedium marked by occasional events that may or may not be of interest. Unfortunately, we’re also back to the same old, same old, as some of the damage caused by the Ghostbusters’ efforts in the city puts them in the crosshairs of the OG team’s enemy from back in the day, now-Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton in a thankless return), who is still determined after all these years to shut the Ghostbusters down.
Meanwhile, a fellow named Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) wanders into Ray’s bookshop with a bunch of his late grandmother’s relics to sell, including a strange sphere that – as we saw in a prologue set 100 years earlier – has the power to turn both objects and human beings into ice. The sphere certainly generates enough psychic energy to send Ray’s lab equipment into a tizzy, warranting further investigation.
Just what that sphere contains, and what role Nadeem has to play, is unveiled in one stultifying exposition dump after another, although some of it is at least amusingly delivered by Patton Oswalt in a cameo as the Fox Mulder of the New York Public Library (he also works in the basement). At the same time, Phoebe – feeling down and dejected because she’s been benched due to her age – strikes up a relationship with a young teenage ghost (Emily Alyn Lind) that is clearly gay despite the filmmakers straining hard to avoid confirming that fact.
Loads of exposition, endless nods to the past (poor Paul Rudd, who’s actually one of the film’s few bright spots, speaks-sings the famous theme song at one point), and the paper-thin plot at the center of the movie all conspire to make ‘Frozen Empire’ a slog, until we get to the CG-heavy third act battle – complete with column of psychic power emanating upward into the clouds (we thought we’d put that tired visual device behind us).
But none of this is very funny, very entertaining, or compelling to watch, and the mechanics of the plot and overstuffed cast means that most of the actors get little or nothing of importance to do, and often disappear for long stretches. By the end, they all have to come together – including a barely registering Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) – to defeat yet another digitally-created entity from the other side with a murky plan to destroy the world. For most of the running time, however, ‘Frozen Empire’ plods along, with Kenan seemingly unable to draw any life or energy out of this well-worn narrative.
One of the things people appreciated most about ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ was the introduction of its new cast, which also included the Spenglers’ new friends/helpmates Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim). All of them are back, but most of them are sidelined with the exception of Mckenna Grace’s Phoebe. Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard are given shockingly little in terms of story or character arc, with Coon looking bored throughout (she’s even sitting and scrolling through her phone in one scene) and Wolfhard literally vanishing from the film for much of its second act.
Grace and Paul Rudd fare better and carry a lot of the film, with Rudd providing his usual effortless charm. Grace is also very good, although she’s given a plot turn late in the movie that makes no sense at all, especially in light of events that follow it. As for the new additions, Nanjiani makes the most out of a thin character but does get most of the funnier lines (and delivers them well), while Oswalt relishes his brief time onscreen and provides his usual caustic presence.
Which brings us to the OG Ghostbusters. Aykroyd plays a more integral part in this story – although he’s more or less Basil Exposition – and manages to come off the best, while Ernie Hudson is just glad to be there and makes sure you know it as he smiles constantly for the camera. He and Aykroyd share a brief moment in which they ponder getting old, but it’s a theme with little potency as it’s never brought up again. As for Murray, he neither has a lot of screen time nor anything meaningful to provide to the story – sadly, Peter Venkman is a shadow of his former self (thankfully, there are no further cameos from the “ghost” of the late Harold Ramis’ Egon). And what happened to Sigourney Weaver’s Dana, glimpsed at the end of the last film?
A headline recently appeared online that asked if ‘Ghostbusters’ could just go back to being one of the great comedies of the 1980s, without the constant corporate mandate to make it into a franchise. We sadly could not agree more at this point. This is a property that’s truly running on fumes, and we’re really not sure if even a blast from a proton pack could reignite it.
‘Ghostbusters’ is like ‘Star Wars’ in a way too – as much as the franchise seems to want to move forward, it always ends up being stuck in the past. While both ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Frozen Empire’ contain little sparks of inspiration – mostly in the casting – the property’s reliance on nostalgia, combined with a lack of fresh narrative ideas or jokes, make ‘Frozen Empire’ a tedious, enervating sit. Let’s not answer the call anymore.
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ receives 4 out of 10 stars.
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What is the Plot of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’?
As the descendants of Egon Spengler continue the ghostbustin’ business in New York City with the support of the rest of the original Ghostbusters, a new paranormal menace threatens to put the Big Apple into a deep freeze and unleash a second Ice Age upon the rest of humanity.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’?
Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) must seek out Ashley’s estranged father, Matt (Nicolas Cage), for help when they wind up in the middle of a criminal enterprise that threatens their lives. Matt is living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands when they track him down but are soon found by crime boss Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) and his lieutenant Bobo (Ron Perlman). The more time Ashley spends with Matt, she realizes he has a secret past she knew nothing about.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Tim Brown about his work on ‘The Retirement Plan,’ crafting the story, shooting in the Cayman Islands, directing Nicolas Cage and his unusual acting style, his character’s parental skills, Ron Perlman’s fantastic performance, putting the cast together, and creating the action sequences.
(L to R) Director Tim Brown and Nicolas Cage on the set of ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how this project came together and why you were excited to direct it specifically?
Tim Brown: I think I’d be excited to make any movie, frankly, but certainly this one. I think it came about almost in a bit of a different fashion. The Cayman Islands was Covid free at the time and the financier of the film was trying to find a way to bring a bunch of productions there. So I had an idea for a story and I said, “Well, what if John Wick just became a drunk on the beach for 20 years? What would he be like if it had to be pulled into action again after really not doing anything but being a drunk on the beach?” So it spawned from that idea. I thought it’d be like a Shane Black movie in a way, an action film that had a lot of comedic elements. I really like when the bad guys come into play and start talking about things that normally when you’re about to assassinate someone you wouldn’t talk about, like having a conversation about the bad service at Starbucks. Just something that takes you away from the real seriousness of the situation that you’re in to keep it light. So it really spawned from that and from having the location in the Cayman Islands and then having this sort of loose concept of a guy who has to be called back into action. And I just began writing, and as you write, that just evolved into what it became. So it was really an organic process for me.
(L to R) Nicolas Cage, director Tim Brown and Ron Perlman on the set of ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: Tell us about shooting on location in the Cayman Islands during Covid, what was that experience like for you?
TB: Amazing. They brought everybody in since they were Covid free. They had a very strict policy. They were one of the only places on Earth at the time that had no Covid whatsoever. So when you got there, they decided to do a slate of movies, and I was one of four at the time. I think they ended up doing two or three more films there. So they had built up a crew and they brought in every nut, every bolt, every dolly, every camera, and every person to operate that stuff, including the cast. When you arrived, you were put into a strict 16-day quarantine in your hotel room, bracelet, phone, lockdown, and two months in jail if you broke quarantine. So it was crazy strict. But when you got out of quarantine, I didn’t put a mask on for six months, so we were going to buffets, we were hanging out, living the life that we lived prior to the whole Covid business. So on production, having that freedom, I think the cast were initially kind of shocked. I remember talking to Ernie Hudson about it, and so I’m saying, “What’s it like?” And he’s like, “I feel like I’m walking around naked without a mask on my face.” I go, “You’ll get over that in about three hours.” Sure enough, he’s hugging people, high-fiving and running around the beach. So it was an amazing experience. The weather was phenomenal, although I know it was tough. Ronnie Perlman who was there, we’d keep him in an air-conditioned car because it’s 95 degrees, the humidity is about 98%, and the moment you get outside, it’s similar to being in a steam bath. He’s got to wear sharkskin suits, so he’s really in heavy clothing and doing fight scenes and things of that nature on the sand and the beach. So when it came to that aspect of shooting in the Caymans, that was probably harder on the cast than anyone. Because if you just walk outside, you start sweating, and you obviously don’t want that too much within your character, obviously on camera. So I think I evolved Bobo’s character a little bit into commenting on how hot it was. So anytime Ron’s saying how hot it is, he’d be telling me on the side, “Oh my God, it’s so hot.” So I’d go, “Say that. Just say that because at least it lends believability to your character who’s currently about to pour with sweat in about 30 seconds if I keep the cameras rolling.” So that was a bit of a challenge. But the people of the Cayman Islands are absolutely extraordinary individuals. It’s literally one of the nicest places I’ve been on Earth because they’re just so friendly and welcoming there. There are beautiful people there across the board, and we were really super lucky to be there.
(L to R) Nicolas Cage and director Tim Brown on the set of ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: Can you talk about your experience directing Nicolas Cage? What did you learn from working with him and can you talk about his approach to playing Matt?
TB: I learned a ton of stuff. When you just start to look at his resume and think about it, you kind of get overwhelmed. The majority of the process with him that’s so fantastic is the amount of work he does before you start shooting. So all of the conversations and the majority of the stuff that we talked about in prep. He’s a cinephile at the highest level. So If you want to talk film, and certainly, I don’t think I’m at his level because he’ll bring up some German existentialist film from the ’20s that I’m lost on, but he knows it cold. We would talk films a lot, referencing his character. So he likes to dive in, I believe, at least with me, into other past cinema to feed his current performance. He called me up and he said, “I want you to watch a film starring Leslie Howard called ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel.’” Not everyone’s going to know this film, but it’s an older movie set in the French Revolution when this gentleman would dress up as the Scarlet Pimpernel. At day, he’s a very flamboyant, fun-loving, easygoing, rich guy. But at night, he dresses up and he masquerades and he rescues French aristocrats from getting the guillotine. So I watched the film and as I’m watching the film, I’m like, “What the hell? How is this connected?” Then we’d talk about it and we had this expression with Matt, which was “peeling back the layers of the onion.” You realize that this Leslie Howard character in ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ is a master of disguise. So Matt is by all the things you see in front of him, he’s just like a drunk beach bum, but that’s just the facade. So Leslie Howard’s character was the same way. He had a facade, but underneath that he was an expert professional. So we would slowly pull back the layers until at the very end when he’s putting on a flak jacket, now the onion is fully exposed as this ex-agent character who’s fully back in action now. But I tried to do that slowly and with Nic and his focus on character and his engagement into the story is incredible. He’s so prepared, every day. I can’t imagine there’s a director that hasn’t worked with him that doesn’t say the same thing, that he’s just phenomenal to work with because he’s so prepared coming into it. When I first met him, we had a meeting in his hotel and the script was on the coffee table and it looked like someone carried it through Normandy at the beach raid because it was just coffee stained and it was the most worn script I’ve ever seen. So clearly, he had just read it a hundred times. He knew his lines, everyone else’s lines, but he also knew the conversations about how his character gets to where he needs to get to, that was fascinating. Then he brings what I would call, I think I referred to it as the “Nic Cage spice.” It was a secret elixir, a secret ingredient that added a flavor to whatever you were eating, to use an analogy of cooking, that was so unique. He would do it very subtly and he would improvise something very rarely. He was very adamant on script, but he would improvise a small little thing. I realized later it was a nuance to a film he had done in the past or it was a little piece of meta. If you really know Nic, you’ll see things in this movie that he does that have been taken from other films that he’s done, and I didn’t even know he was doing it. I remember he did something in one of the conversations with the little girl. He says, “Sarah, you always knocked me for a loop.” It was an improvised line because he is supposed to say, “You just asked me a million questions. What’s your question?” I said, “Cut,” and I walked over and he goes, “Oh, you didn’t like that?” I go, “No, it’s fine.” I just didn’t know why he added the, “Sarah, you always knocked me for a loop.” I think long after I’d finished the film, I was watching ‘Kick-Ass’ and when Chloë Grace Moretz says, “I want a puppy. No, I’m just kidding. I want a butterfly knife,” Nic says, “Oh, Hit-Girl, you always knock me for a loop.” I went, “He meta-ed himself in this film,” which was to me, and the fact that I discovered it and didn’t even know he did it on set, made my day. So things like that and the comedy, the subtleties, he’s a phenomenal comic actor, like crazy good. It’s just these little nuances that he puts into the character. I think he does it a fair amount with Matt, and it was a sheer joy to watch him work for sure. Again, it was tough on him too. There was a lot of fighting and action. There was never a day it wasn’t 90 degrees hot with humidity. So that was a challenge for him. But no, he was just a joy to be around for sure, and on occasion entertaining the entire crew on some days, which everyone just couldn’t have enjoyed more.
(L to R) Ashley Greene as Ashley, Thalia Campbell as Sarah, and Nicolas Cage as Matt in ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: Can you talk about the family dynamic between Matt, Ashley and Sarah, and how Matt is adjusting to being a father again, and now also a grandfather?
TB: Well, one of the blessed things about that was Nic loves films that have a family theme around them. If you know anything about Kurosawa or a lot of Japanese works, he thinks Kurosawa was the king of the hill. I think a lot of Kurosawa’s and a lot of Japanese drama deals with a family dynamic. He related to that really well. And actually Ernie Hudson said the same thing. He was really drawn to the picture because of the family element to it. I just think when you add a grandchild into it, it just raises the stakes. So when I gave her the MacGuffin that everyone’s trying to get their hands on, and it was tongue-in-cheek when I called it the “hard drive” because there’s not an action picture around that someone’s not trying to get ahold of the hard drive. So I mean, that was sort of a MacGuffin almost for the sake of the comedy of it. But I think that what family does is, I think it just increases the heart part of it. You don’t want to just randomly kill people and you want to have an emotional connection. I think if you’re trying to help a granddaughter and one you’ve never known before, that might’ve helped Nic and whoever was going to play Matt at the time get into that proper state of mind where it’s just an elevated situation instead of helping a stranger if you’re trying to save your granddaughter’s life or your daughter’s life. Of course, I made them estranged at the beginning so they can have an arc to get to at the end. But I think it adds the element, and I think a lot of films where you have family involved, it makes it a little more emotional. So I think that was probably in essence, the reason for it.
(L to R) Thalia Campbell as Sarah and Ron Perlman as Bobo in ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: Actor Ron Perlman really shines as Bobo. Did you write the role for him, and can you talk about his performance?
TB: Yeah, Bobo was a great joy to write. It’s funny, I don’t think I really had a person in mind when I wrote Bobo. I think if anything I head in my brain was kind of the character of Marv from ‘Sin City,’ this sort of guy who’s understated, huge and really intimidating, but an old school mob guy. I thought he’s really come down to the end of his days when he’s working for this character that Jackie Earle Haley plays, which was a guy who’s just done his time. So when we first talked about the character, I wrote a pretty detailed biography for Bobo, and I did the same thing for Nic’s character as well, four or five pages of basically where he was born and where he was raised. I wrote a lot about the guy who raised him and it was almost like Charles Dickens. I think I used a lot of that, which is why I wanted to make him smart. I thought it was totally against type, the idea that he’s talking about Shakespeare and Othello and why Iago is betraying somebody. Of course, he’s talking to this little child who’s trying to understand it while he’s kidnapped her and is about to kill her. So I thought those little nuances were kind of fun. Then when someone had suggested Ron, I mean my head exploded. I just said, “He is Bobo. It’s perfect for me.” I couldn’t have fathomed another person for Bobo. I can’t think of anyone other than Ron. When we got him, I was pretty excited. I think the only time I got more excited was when I heard Ernie Hudson was going to come to the island. So that made me really happy.
(L to R) Ernie Hudson, Nicolas Cage and Ashley Greene in ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: In addition to Cage, Perlman and Hudson, the movie also includes Ashley Greene, Jackie Earle Haley, Joel David Moore, Rick Fox and Lynn Whitfield. Can you talk about putting together the cast?
TB: I think they were attracted to the script. Ashley talked about this a lot and Nic said it too, that they both thought it was really funny while they were reading it. They said that was different for them, for a lot of the projects they’ve been getting, where they get an action picture and really wanted to add comedy to it. The more I wrote, the more I found that I really wanted the tongue-in-cheek as firm as I could. I wanted to make fun of the genre of action pictures and the sort of dialogue around classic paint-by-numbers action films. So I tried to make fun of myself through the process and make fun of the genre itself. I don’t know exactly why they did it, but I do know that Nic and Ashley were very specific saying they really liked that it was so funny. So I thought that must be the main reason.
(L to R) Nicolas Cage as Matt and Jackie Earle Haley as Donnie in ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
MF: Finally, how challenging were the action sequences to shoot?
TB: Well, the whole thing with budget is time. The lower the budget, the less time. We had no rehearsal. So all the stunt sequences, those were done on the day. I mean, we really couldn’t rehearse much. Nic came on his day off to run through the hotel scene and to rehearse just to help us out because we didn’t have the luxury of two weeks of prep. I wrote some big set pieces, especially the hotel out on the balcony when they’re hanging up. So that stuff’s really challenging to do. I was very lucky to have Mark Irwin as my director of photography. His resume is crazy. He’s done a ton of comedy. Obviously the FarrellyBrothers he’s worked with a lot, and Jim Carrey and I learned a lot from him. He helped me a lot in the cheat department where I thought, “How am I supposed to show this POV?” He said, “Ah, let show you what 40 years of cinematography will get you.” He helped me out pretty quickly with that. So that was a great bonus to have that. I was surrounded by a terrific support team, but we were lucky. I had a great rigger who came literally right off of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie. He came to help with the rigging of some of that stuff. I figured if those guys can keep Tom Cruise safe, they can certainly keep our guys safe. So it was great to have that. But those sequences even on budgets that are $60 or $70 million, they’re tricky. When you’ve got less than that, to say the least, it’s really tough, but we seem to get through it okay. Thankfully, no one got hurt.
(L to R) Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Nicolas Cage, Ernie Hudson and Jackie Earle Haley star in ‘The Retirement Plan.’ Courtesy of The Retirement Plan.
(L to R) Casey Metcalfe as Marlon, James Day Keith as Benny, Woody Harrelson as Marcus, Ashton Gunning as Cody, and Tom Sinclair as Blair in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.
Since their last directorial collaboration with comedy sequel ‘Dumb & Dumber To’ in 2014, sibling filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly have charted distinctly different paths. Peter has looked for a different level of recognition, making the Oscar-winning ‘Green Book’ and the less well-received ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’.
Bobby Farrelly, on the other hand, has mostly spent the time producing other people’s work and shooting shorts. But he’s back with a new movie that you could picture studio executives considering award-worthy given its blend of heartwarming comedy and underdog athletes –– and Woody Harrelson, who starred for him in ‘Kingpin’.
‘Champions’ still sticks closer to the previous Farrelly brothers brand of comedy, though it largely tones down the levels of slapstick and gross-out humor in favor of spotlighting the abilities of the players and letting Harrelson play a grump on screen whose heart might just be melted by his new charges.
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What’s the story of ‘Champions’?
Though it sounds like the sort of inspirational true story that Hollywood loves to bring to screens, ‘Champions’ is actually based on the acclaimed Spanish film ‘Campeones’ –– which became Spain’s biggest box office hit of the year when it was released in 2018, ultimately winning Best Film at the Spanish Film Academy’s Goya Awards.
Harrelson plays Marcus, a minor-league basketball coach who disagrees with his boss (Ernie Hudson) and ends up getting pushy (literally). Kicked off the team, Marcus drowns his sorrows and, driving home from a bar, rear-ends a stopped police car.
Which means he goes from the basketball court to the law courts, handed a public service sentence that involves managing the Friends, a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Marcus is introduced to the likes of Johnny (Kevin Iannucci), Darius (Joshua Felder), Cody (Ashton Gunning), Craig (Matthew Von Der Ahe), Blair (Tom Sinclair) and Benny (James Day Keith). And soon after, they’re joined by Cosentino (Madison Tevlin), a superstar player (and real motivator) who is fresh off the injury list and ready to prove herself.
Around the same time, Marcus meets Alex (Kaitlin Olson) on Tinder and while their spark is somewhat less than love at first site, he soon discovers he’ll be spending more time with her than he thought, as she’s Johnny’s sister and main caretaker.
Initially doubtful that he should even bother with team, he soon realizes that they can go further than they or he imagined –– which includes all the way to the Special Olympics. And that could also help boost his professional chances.
(L to R) Alex Hintz as Arthur, Casey Metcalfe as Marlon, Matthew von der Ahe as Craig, Ashton Gunning as Cody, Tom Sinclair as Blair, Joshua Felder as Darius, James Day Keith as Benny, Madison Tevlin as Cosentino, Kevin Iannucci as Johnathan, and Bradley Edens as Showtime in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.
‘Champions’ is a stealthily entertaining and –– yes, at times uplifting –– comedy that goes some way to subverting expectations about this type of movie. Yes, Harrelson’s character is exactly the sort of grumpy ass who appears to lack people skills. But he at least is allowed a few shades of gray. His own issues are clearly outlined and his relationship with Olson’s Alex isn’t exactly cookie cutter. It won’t truly surprise you, but at least it goes on something of a storytelling journey.
There are also largely organic reasons for Alex not wanting Johnny to leave the home they share with their mother, and her own life is stunted for different reasons other than simple loyalty to her sibling. And Marcus’ drink driving comes into play for one of the Friends, who initially refuses to have anything to do with him for reasons that are both darker than you expect and more interesting.
The Friends, meanwhile, are characters in their own right, and writer Mark Rizzo goes some way to factoring them into the storyline so that everyone has some agency. Plus given that several of those playing the Friends haven’t acted before in their lives, they’re all charismatic and entertaining in their own right.
Harrelson, Olsen and the likes of Cheech Marin (who plays Julio, who runs the non-profit recreation center where the Friends train) know exactly what they’re doing in their roles and keep the laughs coming when needed, switching tracks to heartwarming when called upon.
(L to R) Ernie Hudson as Coach Phil Peretti and Woody Harrelson as Marcus in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ released by Focus Features. Photo Credit: Shauna Townley/Focus Features.
What doesn’t work about ‘Champions’?
Even if you’ve not seen the trailer for the movie, you’ll pretty much be able to guess every beat coming down the line here: Marcus, initially resistant to his new charges, soon learns to appreciate them for more than just the challenges they face in life and on the court.
And for all the good work the script and cast do in making the characters come alive as more than simply a means to an end, only one or two of the Friends really stands out –– Johnny, for example, is shown to have a full life and it’s mostly thanks to Tevlin that Cosentino overcomes her own definition –– the rest largely sticking to one or two stereotypical behaviors.
The movie also won’t challenge anyone looking for stylish, inventive filmmaking – this is strictly down the line shooting, nothing more than competent. Though if you’re coming to a Farrelly comedy expecting glorious visions, you were looking in the wrong place.
And even with a full team of characters to explore (which it doesn’t fully regardless), this feels like it outstays its welcome, stretching the story a shade over two hours. The saccharine levels also ramp up as the team starts to bond with Marcus and he finds himself won over by their efforts.
Overall, ‘Champions’ won’t challenge any expectations, but it does at least offer enough entertainment to keep it from feeling like a waste of time at the cinema.
‘Champions’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Kevin Iannucci as Johnathan, Kaitlin Olson as Alex, James Day Keith as Benny, and Woody Harrelson as Marcus in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Shauna Townley/Focus Features.
After losing his college basketball coaching position, and being arrested for drinking and driving, Marcus (Woody Harrelson) is sentenced to community service and must coach a basketball team called “The Friends,” which is made up of players with intellectual disabilities.
While the team is reluctant to embrace Marcus at first, eventually they find themselves working together and competing for a spot in the Special Olympics. Meanwhile, Marcus begins a complicated relationship with the sister of one of his players, Alex (Kaitlin Olson).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson about their work on ‘Champions,’ the characters, working with “The Friends,” and what audiences can expect from the new comedy.
(L to R) Kaitlin Olson as Alex and Woody Harrelson as Marcus in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Harrelson, Olson, Cheech Marin, and Bobby Farrelly.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you both say to viewers sitting down to watch this movie to prepare them for the experience they are about to have?
Woody Harrelson: Well, I’d say listen, it’s important, if you don’t like laughing, if you don’t like having a great time and being happy, you might want to leave right now. But if you do like having a good time and laughing, then you’re going to have a great time tonight.
Kaitlin Olson: We had so much fun making this movie. It is a true underdog story. It makes you feel good. We worked with some incredible actors who some of them are first time actors. We’re just so incredibly proud of this movie. It makes you feel good, and it makes you laugh. So please enjoy.
(L to R) Kevin Iannucci as Johnathan, Kaitlin Olson as Alex, James Day Keith as Benny, and Woody Harrelson as Marcus in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Shauna Townley/Focus Features.
MF: Woody, can you talk about the situation Marcus finds himself in coaching “The friends,’” and how that changes his life, and him as a person?
WH: Well, Marcus does get in a little trouble with the law and goes before the judge. She tells him, “Well, you got a choice. You can either go to jail or you can go and coach ‘The Friends,’ these people with disabilities.” Which he thinks for a minute, “Do I want to? Okay.” Then he ends up going to do the coaching. I think that he’s so tied up in his need to succeed and so ambitious in wanting to be in the NBA, and it takes these “Friends” to really start to cultivate the inner more vulnerable side to his nature. Of course, my relationship with Alex also helps to make Marcus a better man. So his learning to love is what shifts him completely.
Kaitlin Olson stars as Alex in director Bobby Farrelly’s ‘Champions,’ released by Focus Features. Photo Credit: Shauna Townley/Focus Features.
MF: Finally, Kaitlin, Alex has a history with Marcus, what’s her reaction when she discovers that he is coaching her brother’s basketball team?
KO: Alex doesn’t have a great experience with him in the beginning of the movie. Then when she finds out that he’s coaching her brother’s basketball team, I think she’s very uncomfortable and sees in this character that he just wants to win. She really sees the value of looking at each individual person and expecting their own personal best, and seeing that as a win. So I think she’s very apprehensive about what he’s going to do and how he’s going to ultimately affect them. She wants to protect them from him. But of course, they get to know each other.
(L to R) Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson star in ‘Champions.’
(L to R) Gil Kenan, Director Jason Reitman, and Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Tony Vinciquerra at Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.
Following on from Paul Feig’s reboot in 2016, the ‘Ghostbusters’ cinematic (sprit) world continued in more direct fashion via last year’s ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’, co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan, who made the first two movies in 1984 and 1989.
Kenan, of course, is no stranger to ‘Afterlife’––he co-wrote the first film with Reitman and produced it, which means that for the sequel, the two filmmakers are effectively swapping roles. They’ve worked on the script together again, and now Reitman will produce the sequel.
‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ picked up the story of the Spengler family––that would be Egon Spengler, played by the late Harold Ramis in the original two movies––decades later. After Egon dies attempting to stop a resurgence of supernatural power in Summerville, Oklahoma, his estranged daughter Callie (Carrie Coon), her daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace) and son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) move to the small town to pack up his ramshackle house.
(L to R) Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Logan Kim in ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife.’
There, they discover his research into the potential return of Gozer (the big bad from the 1984 movie) and Phoebe in particular shows an interest in Ghostbusting, encouraged by local teacher Gary (Paul Rudd). Together the family has to face this new threat while dealing with the legacy of the past, which––spoiler alert––also shows up physically in the form of surviving Ghostbusters Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson).
An end credits seen sees Winston, who has gone on to become a successful businessman, bringing the restored Ecto-1 vehicle back to its original New York firehouse home. Reitman has said that that’s where the story for the sequel will take place, though there are no other details just.
We do know that the core ensemble, including Coon, Rudd, Grace and Wolfhard, should return.
“It’s an absolute honor to pick up the proton pack and step behind the camera for the next chapter of the Spengler family saga,” said Kenan in a statement. “I just wish I could go back to 1984 and tell the kid in the sixth row of the Mann Valley West that one day he was going to get to direct a ‘Ghostbusters’ film.”
“A few years ago, my father handed me the keys to Ecto-1, and together we made ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ ” said Reitman. “Words will never express how grateful I am to have made a film with my father by my side. It’s now time to hand those keys to my creative partner and fellow Ghostbuster Gil Kenan, a brilliant director who will keep the Spengler spirit alive. I can only hope to provide him the same producorial care and support that my father showed me.”
(L to R) Gil Kenan, Logan Kim, Ernie Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures EntertainmentTony Vinciquerra and Director Jason Reitman at Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.
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(L to R) Gil Kenan, Logan Kim, Ernie Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures EntertainmentTony Vinciquerra and Director Jason Reitman at Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.
There was a lot of talk a few years ago – around the time that Paul Feig’s ‘Ghostbusters’ was about to come out – about a big new universe being built around the idea of spook chasing. Visions of a Marvel-style connected series of stories (a GBCU?) danced in Sony’s heads, but back then it was not to be.
Now, though, given the success of ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ last year, it appears that the traps have been sprung, the containment facility breached, and all manner of ghostly goings-on are in the works, with a day – the same day the original 1984 ‘Ghostbusters’ was released, calendar fans – dedicated to announcements about the future of the franchise.
First and foremost was word that Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, who co-wrote ‘Afterlife’ (which Reitman also directed) are busy on the script for the sequel. Little was revealed about it other than it promises to chronicle “the next chapter in the Spengler family.” That points to the return of Phoebe (McKenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and their family for more ghost hunting.
And the movie’s codename, “Firehouse” confirms (as with the shot of Ecto-1 driving into the city at the end of ‘Afterlife’ plus Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore re-opening the original base of operations) that the new movie returns to the familiar environs of New York.
Ernie Hudson at Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.
We also learned that Dark Horse has plans to publish a ‘Ghostbusters’ comic series that will bridge the gap between ‘Afterlife’ and the upcoming sequel.
Reitman and Kenan have also been developing an animated movie based on the concept, though didn’t expand on what that might focus on. Could Feig’s gang finally get their due again on screen? Or is this a whole new team? Either way, the pair is busy with the ‘Afterlife’ sequel, so the actual creative duties are being handled by co-directors Chris Prynoski and Jennifer Kluska and writer Brenda Hsueh.
And that’s not all! There is also a plan for a new ‘Ghostbusters’ animated sequel, an interesting development, since the original characters already came to TV twice at least, via ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ and then ‘Extreme Ghostbusters’. This new show is at a very early stage so far, with no writer attached to oversee it just yet. Still, despite their packed schedule, Reitman and Kenan will also have a hand in that.
There was also an emotional moment as Ivan Reitman Way – dedicated to Jason’s late father, the man who produced and directed the first two ‘Ghostbusters’ films – was unveiled on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, along with the announcement of a virtual reality training simulator called ‘Ghostbusters VR Academy’ that will be cropping up in locations around the country.
It’s clearly a good time to be a ‘Ghostbusters’ fan, and Sony will no doubt be hoping that we’re gonna know who to call for years to come.
(L to R) Gil Kenan, Director Jason Reitman, and Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Tony Vinciquerra at Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.Echo-Fest on the lot of Sony Pictures in celebration of Ghostbusters Day.
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