GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE Director Jason Reitman Breaks Down Those Two Big Final Act Cameos - SPOILERS

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE Director Jason Reitman Breaks Down Those Two Big Final Act Cameos - SPOILERS

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman has shared some insights into how two of the movie's biggest cameos became a reality, revealing the work that went into bringing them back to the big screen.

News
By JoshWilding - Dec 30, 2021 06:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Ghostbusters
Source: Empire Online

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was one of 2021's most pleasant surprises, and unlike 2016's reboot, the vast majority of fans appear to be on board with this sequel to those iconic first two movies. The sheer amount of fan service likely helped, with two big cameos in the final act clearly striking a chord with moviegoers.

First, there was Gozer (originally played by Slavitza Jovan) and then J.K. Simmons as Ivo Shandor. 

Talking to Empire Online about enlisting the Spider-Man: No Way Home star for a single, gory scene, Reitman pointed out that Simmons has appeared in all his previous movies. He also confirmed that they knew from early on Shandor would show up and promptly be torn in half by the indifferent Gozer. 

"The ripping in half was a practical effect. The same guy who made the Terror Dog animatronics created a J.K. Simmons that Olivia Wilde could grab by his hair and just rip it everywhere," the filmmaker explains. "The visual effects team put together a bid for the ripping of Shandor door and I said, 'Oh no, we're doing this practical.' The team built this scissoring J.K. Simmons puppet that would rip apart, and they would just fill it with goo and then rip it apart. It was wild and amazing."

Asked about Gozer, Reitman credited two actresses with bringing the villain back to life for this latest Ghostbusters movie. "It's Olivia Wilde, but it is also Emma Portner – the movement of Gozer was brought to life by the great modern dancer Emma Portner, and the face is Olivia Wilde."

In related news, there was recently some online backlash about 2016's Ghostbusters not being included in an upcoming Blu-ray re-release of the trilogy. Now, Sony Pictures has confirmed the divisive Paul Feig movie will be part of the set, but as a Digital Code should fans want to revisit that blockbuster. 

Check out our review of Ghostbusters: Afterlife by clicking here.

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LilJimmy
LilJimmy - 12/30/2021, 6:41 PM
A digital code that no one will use.
Knightrider
Knightrider - 12/30/2021, 6:44 PM
Was there backlash? There was one Paul Feig tweet about it, but most people assumed the box set was for the movies that are canon.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 12/31/2021, 1:55 AM
@Knightrider - Again, The editors on various sites including this one use the 5 Twitter users up in arms about a topic as the "mass". They then create topics about these imaginary controversies and fabricate them to be these mass events where it's only just 5 people maybe 6 that are stirring the pot on 4chan.
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 12/31/2021, 4:04 AM
@Knightrider - Ghostbusters II isn't canon anymore. The first movie happened and then nothing. Ray is still working at Ray's Occult in the new timeline.
Knightrider
Knightrider - 12/31/2021, 4:12 AM
@GwenLantern - I have yet to see it, I thought it went 1,2 then Afterlife. I stand corrected.
Knightrider
Knightrider - 12/31/2021, 4:14 AM
@GwenLantern - Although, I just read interviews and they claim Ghostbusters 2 is canon.
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 12/31/2021, 6:10 AM
@Knightrider - When you see the movie, it's obviously not. They mention the events of 1984 as if it's a big historical event, but never once mention 1989's events.

Also, I have to imagine Ray would need to sell the store in order to refund the ghostbusting business in 1989. And that the ghostbusters franchise would probably still be a thing in 2021 and everyone would know about it.

Unless they went out of business a second time and Ray bought the exact same store back. But then you would think there would be a mention of the events of ghostbusters II in Afterlife and there isn't. The only reference in the whole film is the existence of Ray's Occult.
There's also one reference to The Real Ghostbusters toy-line (the extendable seat in Ecto-1 seen in the trailers), but neither references confirm these things as canon. In fact the existence of Ray's Occult in 2021 suggests otherwise.

But I haven't read those interviews, so maybe they do consider it canon. But if they do, then it's weird that this film seems to completely ignore the events of that film. All of the references (and there are a lot), other than the two mentioned above, are exclusively to the first movie.
Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 12/30/2021, 7:27 PM
There wasn't any backlash. It was just Paul Feig having his usual temper tantrum. He just can't accept his movie was one long deleted scene/gag reel. But no e of it was funny or entertaining.

Anyway. I watched Afterlife last night and thought it was pretty decent. Too much of a retread of the first film though.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/30/2021, 7:39 PM
I got my ultimate collection pre ordered, keep that digital code for 2016 lmao
dracula
dracula - 12/30/2021, 8:23 PM
Only 3 real Ghost Busters movie

2016 felt more like a Ghost Busters parody you would see in those early 2000’s spoof movies but the short moment is stretched out into a full movie
Origame
Origame - 12/30/2021, 10:11 PM
What was even the point of including Shandor in the movie? They kinda built him up as the real villain in the movie, and arguably all of Ghostbusters, but he didn't even last a minute when brought back to life before getting killed. I just don't understand why they couldn't just leave his role in the thing as simply an explanation for why the town was built. Why bring him back?
LucasTurkeyNeck
LucasTurkeyNeck - 12/31/2021, 3:33 AM
@Origame - it was an utter waste, for starters Gozer let’s Phoebe tell it dopey jokes before even speaking to her. A random 13 year old girl, but she rips apart her acolyte? The man that basically built a God a building for which allowed it to come through in the original film. thats who Gozer rips apart? Ghostbusters afterlife was a letdown aside from a few bright spots. But that scene in particular was just dumb
valmic
valmic - 12/31/2021, 12:23 AM
I was more hyped for afterlife than I was for no way home but no way home treated the OG characters how I wanted afterlife to treat them. Not just show up at the end to make everyone happy. I wanted them to be part of the story and more than 5 mins in the movie.
asherman93
asherman93 - 12/31/2021, 12:44 AM
@micvalpro - Blame Bill Murray.
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 12/31/2021, 10:01 AM
@micvalpro - blame bill murray.he seems doesn't interested doing full action ghostbuster
JermareCBM
JermareCBM - 12/31/2021, 3:40 AM
There was no backlash from anyone other than Paul Fieg
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 12/31/2021, 4:10 AM
A digital code? Not very permanent. So when I stash this box set in my collection and then finally bust it out twenty years later, that digital code will be more irredeemable than the movie itself.
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 12/31/2021, 10:03 AM
Just watch the ghostbuster afterlife.it is great,and I hope they will build new storyline for the new generation ghostbuster.
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 12/31/2021, 11:10 AM
Afterlife was perfect, but if we're being honest, none of the Ghostbusters films are perfect. But the first 2 were always fun and made me wanna ghost bust. Afterlife was likewise fun and made me wanna ghost bust. It wasn't perfect, but it reignited my interest in this IP. I'd say the weakest part of the film is the OGs ham fisted inclusion at the end, but I still had fun.
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 12/31/2021, 11:10 AM
Afterlife wasn't* perfect
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