Discuss Ghostbusters: Afterlife, released on November 19, 2021 and directed by Jason Reitman.
#4948649
Things may change as time progresses, but November is currently the date Sony and Jason are shooting for... So rather than getting caught up in a date shift that may not happen, or a hypothetical mixed theatrical/streaming release that the studio and director have not indicated in the slightest so far, let's not get too caught up in our passions.

In the meantime, let's appreciate some Mini-Puft fanart by danieljinx:

Image

It's quite neat how much these little guys have resonated with people. :)
Alphagaia, deadderek, below_radar_00 and 1 others liked this
#4948662
timeware wrote: April 26th, 2021, 1:05 am Again I haven't asked for the film to not be released in theatres. You keep insinuating that I have. Dual release means being released both in theatres and on digital streaming. Stop claiming that I don't want this movie to be released in theatres.
You aren’t thinking clearly. Sony doesn’t have a major streaming service to put Ghostbusters on. WB is doing the dual release day & date thing for a reason. It’s called HBO Max.

You know how we know Sony is NOT going to release this movie on digital/streaming same time as theatrical? Because they moved the release date to November. They’ve moved the release date multiple times while selling the films they didn’t fully believe were worth the risk to Apple & Netflix. If dual release was in the cards we’d be getting this movie much sooner. Think about it. Why wait? Just release in June or July or May. November is a weird date for this movie and it tells you that it’s the soonest they think they can release theatrical ONLY & make some money.

Sony believes they have a winner on their hands. A dual release will not be happening.
deadderek liked this
#4948663
If we want it to be a cultural hit..

I dunno if streaming’s the way to go.

If you step back and look.. Justice league and Godzilla seem to be yesterday’s news.

Ive notice a pattern that theres a big spike in popularity for about a week and then its forgotten and vanished from my feed.

This week mortal kombat is the big thing.

Weve been literaly living in a “flavor of the week” pattern with these streaming “hits”

In general, im not sure if thats good for films if filmmakers want their product to stick and not be bumped out too soon
#4948669
BatDan wrote: April 26th, 2021, 7:13 pm If we want it to be a cultural hit..

I dunno if streaming’s the way to go.

If you step back and look.. Justice league and Godzilla seem to be yesterday’s news.

Ive notice a pattern that theres a big spike in popularity for about a week and then its forgotten and vanished from my feed.

This week mortal kombat is the big thing.

Weve been literaly living in a “flavor of the week” pattern with these streaming “hits”

In general, im not sure if thats good for films if filmmakers want their product to stick and not be bumped out too soon
No matter which way you try and paint it it's not going to make the kind of money Sony wants.
  • We are in a pandemic.... even with the vaccine cinemas are never going to be at the same level they were before the pandemic hit.
  • They are fighting an uphill battle. People hated ATC so they are reluctant to see it. Then you have the clowns that moaned they wanted the OG busters back in a sequel who are now complaining that the movie rehashes a lot of elements from the originals, then you have the people who are moaning because it has kids in the movie likening it to Stranger Things just because one kid from that show is in it.
  • Finally China bans movies that has supernatural elements. China is a humongous market to lose out on.
Godzilla vs Kong for example that had a box office opening in China DOUBLED the domestic take and was more than EVERY OTHER box office it acually opened at COMBINED.

If they only open in the box office and China bans it then the movie is going to lose money guaranteed.
#4948672
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 12:55 am
BatDan wrote: April 26th, 2021, 7:13 pm If we want it to be a cultural hit..

I dunno if streaming’s the way to go.

If you step back and look.. Justice league and Godzilla seem to be yesterday’s news.

Ive notice a pattern that theres a big spike in popularity for about a week and then its forgotten and vanished from my feed.

This week mortal kombat is the big thing.

Weve been literaly living in a “flavor of the week” pattern with these streaming “hits”

In general, im not sure if thats good for films if filmmakers want their product to stick and not be bumped out too soon
No matter which way you try and paint it it's not going to make the kind of money Sony wants.
  • We are in a pandemic.... even with the vaccine cinemas are never going to be at the same level they were before the pandemic hit.
  • They are fighting an uphill battle. People hated ATC so they are reluctant to see it. Then you have the clowns that moaned they wanted the OG busters back in a sequel who are now complaining that the movie rehashes a lot of elements from the originals, then you have the people who are moaning because it has kids in the movie likening it to Stranger Things just because one kid from that show is in it.
  • Finally China bans movies that has supernatural elements. China is a humongous market to lose out on.
Godzilla vs Kong for example that had a box office opening in China DOUBLED the domestic take and was more than EVERY OTHER box office it acually opened at COMBINED.

If they only open in the box office and China bans it then the movie is going to lose money guaranteed.
China does not ban movies that feature “supernatural elements”. That’s a misnomer. Marvel movies get released in China all the time and they have supernatural elements. They might ban a movie if it contains witchcraft, possessions and evil spirits. But there isn’t a blanket “no supernatural stuff policy”. China isn’t actually as big a market as some people think. Sure movies can do big numbers there but the amount that gets back to the studio is about 20%. Ghostbusters probably won’t open in China, but this idea that supernatural=banned from Chinese theatres just isn’t true.

I don’t know why you would think they’d lose money “guaranteed”. Things are starting to open back up again now. Keep in mind a lot of the movies that have been grossing over 20 million are movies that are also available to watch to 44 million HBO Max subscribers.

There are a lot more movies coming out between now & November.

Frankly I think the lede got buried this weekend with most people focusing on Mortal Kombat opening to decent numbers. But the real story is that some anime movie that had 1/10th of the marketing budget of Kombat debuted to just over 21 millions dollars. I had never heard of this franchise before and a 21 million opening during regular non Covid times would be incredible. Two movies grossing over 20 million with extremely limited capacity in some places, and theatre closed all together in others, is a good sign. Especially when one of those movies in rated R & the other is a pretty niche anime film that’s connected to a TV series.

You are right about this movie facing an uphill battle. But that’s always been the case. I’ve said this numerous times but it’s true, GB16’s stink is still on this franchise, like how those Terminator sequels stink was for the latest Terminator movie. and I’m not talking about the quality of the movie, I’m talking about how it complicates things for the average moviegoer. But that’s always been the case and the next trailer will have to do a lot of heavy lifting to make it clear this is a sequel to the GB movies from the 80s & not the one from a few years ago. I know a lot of people won’t and don’t agree with me here, but I think if GB16 had never happened, GBA, or whatever form GB3 might’ve taken, would’ve opened to a 100+ million at the box office or around the same figures as the Indy 4 opening in 2008. GB16 let a lot of the air out of the balloon. Before the pandemic my guess was for a 55-65 million opening depending on how they deal with OG cast in the marketing.

One benefit of a November opening is that for some reason movies that open during & around the holiday season tend to have much longer box office legs than movies released in the summer. Think of Jumanji a few years back or even Aquaman.

I can’t wait for that next trailer. We should be getting within the month I hope.
#4948673
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 12:55 am
If they only open in the box office and China bans it then the movie is going to lose money guaranteed.
I'll take that bet.
#4948674
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 12:55 amPeople hated ATC so they are reluctant to see it.
Have you got an article or a website citing that? I've not gotten that impression that the general public is hesitant to see Afterlife due to bad experiences with Answer the Call.

On a minor moderation note: it wasn't necessary to call people who wanted to see the ATC cast back "clowns". You could easily have said:
Then you have the fans/people/community members that moaned they wanted the OG busters back in a sequel...
-and still got the same point across.
lozbloke, Sav C liked this
#4948676
Kingpin wrote: April 27th, 2021, 5:11 am
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 12:55 amPeople hated ATC so they are reluctant to see it.
Have you got an article or a website citing that? I've not gotten that impression that the general public is hesitant to see Afterlife due to bad experiences with Answer the Call.

On a minor moderation note: it wasn't necessary to call people who wanted to see the ATC cast back "clowns". You could easily have said:
Then you have the fans/people/community members that moaned they wanted the OG busters back in a sequel...
-and still got the same point across.
I never called the people who wanted to see the ATC girls back "clowns". I said the people who hated it and wanted the OGs back were clowns. Just reciprocating the abuse I get when I dare to say I love ATC.

Hang around in the Facebook groups and look at the general public on twitter. There are a lot of casual fans that are hesitant to watch it because of ATC and/or because the stranger things kid is in it.

It's easy to sit in a bubble of like minded fans and assume something. Like the guys who are saying it shouldn't go to streaming just because they think it's going to do really well. Ghostbusters is a niche franchise. It doesn't make anywhere near the kind of money that other franchises do.
#4948680
If you are going to say someone is living in a bubble but use social media as a gauge for your theories, I'm afraid you are looking at a bubble yourself as well.

Twitter and Facebooks algorithm makes sure you see the stuff that provokes a reaction out of you. They are deliberately showing you way more of one side instead of all sides, and that's very much a bubble as well.
deadderek, Sav C, Kingpin liked this
#4948684
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 5:41 am
Kingpin wrote: April 27th, 2021, 5:11 am

Have you got an article or a website citing that? I've not gotten that impression that the general public is hesitant to see Afterlife due to bad experiences with Answer the Call.

On a minor moderation note: it wasn't necessary to call people who wanted to see the ATC cast back "clowns". You could easily have said:



-and still got the same point across.
I never called the people who wanted to see the ATC girls back "clowns". I said the people who hated it and wanted the OGs back were clowns. Just reciprocating the abuse I get when I dare to say I love ATC.

Hang around in the Facebook groups and look at the general public on twitter. There are a lot of casual fans that are hesitant to watch it because of ATC and/or because the stranger things kid is in it.

It's easy to sit in a bubble of like minded fans and assume something. Like the guys who are saying it shouldn't go to streaming just because they think it's going to do really well. Ghostbusters is a niche franchise. It doesn't make anywhere near the kind of money that other franchises do.
Ghostbusters is nowhere near being a “niche franchise”. Are you kidding me? Niche franchises don’t have movies that grossed over 600 million dollars when adjusted for inflation.

Ghostbusters doesn’t make money the other franchises do because....we have no content. Excluding GB16, there have been 2 movies & 2 animated series. That’s it. When Ghostbusters 2 opened in 1989 it broke the record for biggest opening weekend of all time. The first Ghostbusters is the highest grossing comedy of all time adjusted for inflation. The last movie was released 32 years ago. I’m not counting GB16 because 80-90% of Ghostbusters fans are fans because of the original movies.


Star Trek doesn’t make the money of Star Wars but anyone calling Star Trek a niche fandom/franchise would be a fool.

Considering the lack of content & support from Sony Ghostbusters has had over the years, this fandom is incredibly strong.
#4948685
BatDan wrote: April 26th, 2021, 7:13 pm If we want it to be a cultural hit..

I dunno if streaming’s the way to go.

If you step back and look.. Justice league and Godzilla seem to be yesterday’s news.

Ive notice a pattern that theres a big spike in popularity for about a week and then its forgotten and vanished from my feed.

This week mortal kombat is the big thing.

Weve been literaly living in a “flavor of the week” pattern with these streaming “hits”

In general, im not sure if thats good for films if filmmakers want their product to stick and not be bumped out too soon
That's not because they're on streaming, that every movie now. I know most of us here are Millennials or Gen X, so we're starting to lose touch with the popular zeitgeist. People now have a much shorter attention span than they did when we were younger. The last big movie I saw was Joker, that film was popular a month at most? After that it faded away.
#4948687
There's no point in arguing over this situation. I don't care if its streamed, or theatre. The only thing I've thought on that front at all is, "What about the fans who have a fatal case of COVID?" That is what has really upset me - by no means am I saying "RELEASE THE FILM!" I'm saying its just demoralizing that this situation has prevented some from seeing a reality they thought would never come to pass & has divided fans over it. If this board becomes another Van Halen board where all it is is Sammy VS Dave - I'm out.
#4948688
joezlo wrote: April 27th, 2021, 10:12 am I don't care if its streamed, or theatre. The only thing I've thought on that front at all is, "What about the fans who have a fatal case of COVID?"
If someone has a terminal case of COVID, the new movie should be the last thing on their mind.
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#4948689
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 7:27 am It's less of a bubble than being on a site called GBFans.
Debatable, as GBFans doesn't filter content as much as social media, hehe. I joke.

But I don't think anyone is saying they only use GBfans to gauge interest. Neither is wide enough for a good assessment, though.
deadderek wrote: April 27th, 2021, 10:46 am
joezlo wrote: April 27th, 2021, 10:12 am I don't care if its streamed, or theatre. The only thing I've thought on that front at all is, "What about the fans who have a fatal case of COVID?"
If someone has a terminal case of COVID, the new movie should be the last thing on their mind.
This is not a new thing. As Egon said: People die every day. Some from terrible illnesses that can take some time, and sometimes those people get to watch their favorite movie before the general public can as a last wish.

My mother and father are fighting Covid as we speak. She already has clottered arteries and even without Covid has a high risk of dying because of this. She took me to the first GB, GBII, ATC and we would watch GB:A as soon as it will arrive. But we both agree it should be in a theatre, as we want the movie to be a success.
Last edited by Alphagaia on April 27th, 2021, 11:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
#4948690
Honestly I have never been more excited then a fan to see Afterlife in theatres. This is coming from a deplorable clown who liked ATC and wanted a sequel. Mind you with a new director but i'm not rehashing that argument again. Speaking from experience Covid isn't the death sentence it was but it can go south really quick if you aren't paying attention to the symptoms and don't get tested.
#4948691
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 5:41 am I said the people who hated it and wanted the OGs back were clowns. Just reciprocating the abuse I get when I dare to say I love ATC.
I beg your pardon with regards to my misreading what you'd written, although while I understand your frustration, it'd perhaps be a wise choice not to reciprocate here the abuse you'd received somewhere else.
TheLegendOfMart wrote: April 27th, 2021, 5:41 amHang around in the Facebook groups and look at the general public on twitter. There are a lot of casual fans that are hesitant to watch it because of ATC and/or because the stranger things kid is in it.
I'm on a few groups beyond this website... I've seen plenty of people who've thrown their toys out of the pram and sworn they won't go see Afterlife because it's been delayed... But I can't say I've seen anyone who was hesitant about Jason's film, or swore off it entirely because they didn't like the 2016 movie.

They may be vocal in the circles you frequent, but I feel they're a minority.

As for China, I'd be surprised if Sony hadn't already factored into their profit estimates that the movie wouldn't get approved by the film board there.
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#4948692
timeware wrote: April 27th, 2021, 11:09 am Speaking from experience Covid isn't the death sentence it was but it can go south really quick if you aren't paying attention to the symptoms and don't get tested.
Isn't the death sentence it was? It still kills people every single day, and it affects some better or worse than others. I've known people who've had no symptoms, some symptoms, and 2 who have died from it. You can consider yourself lucky.
#4948693
Kingpin wrote: April 27th, 2021, 11:24 am
As for China, I'd be surprised if Sony hadn't already factored into their profit estimates that the movie wouldn't get approved by the film board there.
Any movie studio has been obviously weighing their options, and you can be rest assured Jason & Co. are doing what they feel is best, not what people complaining online think. It's pointless to debate it, we aren't changing minds on the internet.
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#4948694
deadderek wrote: April 27th, 2021, 11:28 am
timeware wrote: April 27th, 2021, 11:09 am Speaking from experience Covid isn't the death sentence it was but it can go south really quick if you aren't paying attention to the symptoms and don't get tested.
Isn't the death sentence it was? It still kills people every single day, and it affects some better or worse than others. I've known people who've had no symptoms, some symptoms, and 2 who have died from it. You can consider yourself lucky.
I'm not trying to minimize the deaths that are still happening. I do consider myself lucky and thankful we were able to determine what we had was covid right away. Thing's are improving with all the new treatments that have come from the research. Three vaccinations in a year is damn impressive if you ask me.

I'm Sorry for you loss. If your able to treat it, the chances of survival have increased drastically then when Covid first reared it's ugly head.
#4948697
Do you guys have any thoughts as how the ending might play out? I shared it once and I’ll share it again...Egon will now be a ghost and will help the kids/GB’s along the way...right at the end Egon will be on the wrong side of it and won’t be able to pass back through to the real world. The only way to seal off the portal and all the ghosts is to close it from within and so Venkman and Stanz decided to sacrifice themselves and go through the portal to close it and thus they become ghosts together with Egon for eternity. Winston and Janine stick around along with Grooberson to help the new kids and their next chapter.

I think the crossing the streams has been hashed enough even used in ATC...but how do you see the ending playing out? I think there will be some sort of sacrifice at the end because Ivan has said he was crying by the end of reading the script and movie. Just my . 02
#4948698
timeware wrote:
deadderek wrote: April 27th, 2021, 11:28 am Isn't the death sentence it was? It still kills people every single day, and it affects some better or worse than others. I've known people who've had no symptoms, some symptoms, and 2 who have died from it. You can consider yourself lucky.
I'm not trying to minimize the deaths that are still happening. I do consider myself lucky and thankful we were able to determine what we had was covid right away. Thing's are improving with all the new treatments that have come from the research. Three vaccinations in a year is damn impressive if you ask me.

I'm Sorry for you loss. If your able to treat it, the chances of survival have increased drastically then when Covid first reared it's ugly head.
When this first broke, there weren't widely available testing methods. That helps identify a problem before it progresses. Then there are therapeutics that were developed as well as drugs that have been identified as being successful if used off-label. For the most part, if you're under the age of 50, don't have some co-morbidity, and aren't overweight, you'll recover. Pfizer is applying for full FDA approval of its vaccine right now and should have it by the end of the summer. Covid will probably still be a thing for the foreseeable future, but we'll come to think of it like the flu or pneumonia. Keep in mind that the flu kills thousands of people every year and that's with tried and true therapeutics and a FDA approved vaccine available.

To keep this on track with Ghostbusters Afterlife, I was thinking about the opening scene. Remember the leaked photo of the monument to the Summerville Miners? I have a feeling the opening scene is going to have to do with them. I could see the scene being set back in the 1920s. The Miners, at Shandor's direction, are either working on an underground temple, or they discover something underground. Then a ghost of some kind shows up. They scream and run. Cue the theme song.
#4948699
No offense Raider. I just don't like the idea of killing everyone off in the end, and If we have to see Harold in the movie i'd kind of like to keep it limited to the video clips Rudd shows the kids. I'm not opposed to Egon's ghost but have his interaction be limited to objects being moved and subtle interactions to help move things along.

I'd like to see the ending involve Rudd training the kids while setting up his own chapter of the Ghostbusters. An end credit of Slimer helping Egon cross over would be the tear jerker.
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