[RichardLess]

I definitely have faith the movie CAN make a December release date, but that makes me wonder more about merchandise.

What can we expect to hit store shelves prior to the movie coming out?

I'd say Twinkies are a safe-ish bet because they were there for Afterlife and ATC. A chain food place likely as we had Zaxby's & nearly Baskin-Robbins. ATC had Papa John's. Being honest I didn't even know about the existence of Zaxby's until the Afterlife tie in. Personally I'm hoping for a bigger chain to have some sort of tie in with the film. Between movies we got the strange Sonic Drive In toys so it seems we'll get something new before the end of the year.

The biggest fingers crossed I have is for Ecto Cooler to return. Not just luck of the draw online or at the premiere. In stores like they did during Answer the Call. Or if they need to do it on a smaller scale maybe make it a theater chain exclusive? Something that puts that sweet green juice down everyone's eager throats.

Maybe we'll finally get Gary and Callie Plasma series figures. I'm really doubtful we'll see any RGB Kenner stuff.

Maybe a Hasbro trap? That'd kick ass.

That’s is a very good point. Merchandise usually needs a lot of lead time. Toys, designs, campaigns, food tie ins. With such a small production schedule…makes you wonder how that will be affected.

Though they have been planning things for awhile. I’ve also heard Stranger Things is gearing up to shoot soon so how much time does Finn Wolfhard have?

I hope they make December. That would show a huge belief on Sony’s part in this movie if they keep that date. Plus Ghostbusteers at Christmas time? Hell yeah.

[zeta otaku]

Yeah, the quick turnaround time is what makes me think we'll DEFINITELY be getting re-issues of some of the Afterlife merch to fill in a bulk of the material

[timeware]

Some products i'd like to see come out:

Lego remote control trap
Remote control trap
better fast food tie ins
GBII mugs and balloons
the marshmallows returning
twinkies
ecto cooler
different slime attatchments from Hasbro
Slimer themed candies and fruit snacks.

Think I got that covered.

[mrmichaelt]

Yeah, the quick turnaround time is what makes me think we'll DEFINITELY be getting re-issues of some of the Afterlife merch to fill in a bulk of the material

Yes, it is definitely curious. Especially with Toyfair (and Hasbro Pulse Con?) happening this fall. Will they start putting merch out in December or wait?

Though they have been planning things for awhile. I’ve also heard Stranger Things is gearing up to shoot soon so how much time does Finn Wolfhard have?

I hope they make December. That would show a huge belief on Sony’s part in this movie if they keep that date. Plus Ghostbusteers at Christmas time? Hell yeah.

It will essentially be back to back for Wolfhard. Principal on this movie ends June 16. David Harbour recently revealed Stranger Things starts filming in June. If GB needs reshoots with scenes involving Wolfhard, that could get complicated. A cursory search on Google says Stranger Things films in Georgia and New Mexico. So if they need him back in London (or NYC)...

On a similar note, was curious about O'Conner since she might have to be in reshoots for Madame Web which are going on right now. But lo and behold, she's in the UK.

[RichardLess]

Yeah, the quick turnaround time is what makes me think we'll DEFINITELY be getting re-issues of some of the Afterlife merch to fill in a bulk of the material

Yes, it is definitely curious. Especially with Toyfair (and Hasbro Pulse Con?) happening this fall. Will they start putting merch out in December or wait?

Though they have been planning things for awhile. I’ve also heard Stranger Things is gearing up to shoot soon so how much time does Finn Wolfhard have?

I hope they make December. That would show a huge belief on Sony’s part in this movie if they keep that date. Plus Ghostbusteers at Christmas time? Hell yeah.

It will essentially be back to back for Wolfhard. Principal on this movie ends June 16. David Harbour recently revealed Stranger Things starts filming in June. If GB needs reshoots with scenes involving Wolfhard, that could get complicated. A cursory search on Google says Stranger Things films in Georgia and New Mexico. So if they need him back in London (or NYC)...

Yeah good point about the reshoots. Let’s just hope Finn Wolfhard doesn’t grow a moustache for Stranger Things. Remember this:

[timeware]

On the merch thing I think it's going to be a good chance this time that we actually get merchandise right around Halloween. They would be stupid not to use candy products, and toys themed for halloween season. Hell if we can get Mc Donalds or Carls Jr to put out Ghostbuster themed trick or treat buckets that would be freaking awesome.
When sonic did the spoons I never got them. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about even though they had a picture of the items right on the drive through menu.

[ghoulishfright]

Since the new movie has been hyped as "Firehouse" and clearly will feature the GBHQ, it would be nice to get a re-release of the Kenner Firehouse playset (or a new Firehouse playset).

[mrmichaelt]

Remember this:

I try not to.

On the merch thing I think it's going to be a good chance this time that we actually get merchandise right around Halloween. They would be stupid not to use candy products, and toys themed for halloween season. Hell if we can get Mc Donalds or Carls Jr to put out Ghostbuster themed trick or treat buckets that would be freaking awesome.
When sonic did the spoons I never got them. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about even though they had a picture of the items right on the drive through menu.

Halloween merch would be rad. Ha ha, yeah, when Zaxby's was brought up - I also wondered c'mon, Sony, let's get a national fast food franchise like McDonald's in the mix. Sonic is pretty well known, 45 states. Those spoons were a surprise unless that was originally Afterlife merch. Probably.

Since the new movie has been hyped as "Firehouse" and clearly will feature the GBHQ, it would be nice to get a re-release of the Kenner Firehouse playset (or a new Firehouse playset).

Solid idea. What I wouldn't give for a Plasma Series Firehouse with a basement.

[joezlo]

Remember this:

I try not to.

On the merch thing I think it's going to be a good chance this time that we actually get merchandise right around Halloween. They would be stupid not to use candy products, and toys themed for halloween season. Hell if we can get Mc Donalds or Carls Jr to put out Ghostbuster themed trick or treat buckets that would be freaking awesome.
When sonic did the spoons I never got them. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about even though they had a picture of the items right on the drive through menu.

Halloween merch would be rad. Ha ha, yeah, when Zaxby's was brought up - I also wondered c'mon, Sony, let's get a national fast food franchise like McDonald's in the mix. Sonic is pretty well known, 45 states. Those spoons were a surprise unless that was originally Afterlife merch. Probably.

Since the new movie has been hyped as "Firehouse" and clearly will feature the GBHQ, it would be nice to get a re-release of the Kenner Firehouse playset (or a new Firehouse playset).

Solid idea. What I wouldn't give for a Plasma Series Firehouse with a basement.

Basement with Containment Unit will not be included...

... It'll be a separate playset. More moolah for the making that way.

[timeware]

It's wishfulll thinking but I'd like to see an ultimate fire house lego set similar to the ultimate millennium falcon but without the thousand dollar price tag.

[RichardLess]

It's wishfulll thinking but I'd like to see an ultimate fire house lego set similar to the ultimate millennium falcon but without the thousand dollar price tag.

I bought that millennium Falcon excited as hell for it & it’s literally still in the shrink rapping. I haven’t even opened it. It’s like I’m terrified of the enormity of it. The picture on the box sure does look nice tho.

What do we think of a total redesign of the proton pack? Something like Extreme Ghostbusters?

The EGB pack grew on me as a kid. I remember being really bummed they didn’t use the old proton packs and was Super pumped whenever the old ones got used. But then I kinda grew to dig that canister loading idea. Tho I never understood how Kylie’s pack worked. She didn’t even have a pack. More like a pouch.

The dangers of a redesign are huge but the potential? Massive. I really dislike the 2016 proton pack. I hated the looks of the beam, how chunky it was. But does everyone remember that leaked Zootfly game concept art? Where Ray or someone is holding like a Proton Pack mini gun? Oh yeah! Now we are talkin! It looked like something from a James Cameron movie.

I’d love a mix of like “Aliens”/“Ghostbusters”/“StarshipTroopers” that sort of aesthetic. But man…if has to be just right. Cause the pack is, next to the lightsaber, my favourite movie weapon of all time. I was against screwing with the lightsaber…until we got the double bladed awesomeness of Darth Maul. So who knows.

But we do need some new tech. The gunner seat was amazing. Same with the Remote Control trap.

[GuyX]

In the future people won’t believe they spent over 300 million dollars on that movie. God that’s horrific. Like…how do u even release that to the public? & it’s an awful scene.

That movie is proof positive that no one knows anything. You bring in Joss Whedon, hot shot writer/director who helped make the MCU what it is, do 80 days of reshoots, and when the original director releases his cut it turns out to be one of the better comic book movies ever made, gets far superior reviews & gets fans excited for the Snyder version of DC. But do they bring him back? Nope. Because ego.

1 of the sad things about Ivan Reitman passing away was I think no one understands this franchise better than him. Everytime I’ve heard him talk about the movie he gets exactly what’s great about it. And all the stuff Jason said Ivan helped him on are the sort of small details that are so much of what makes GB cool.

I LOVED Afterlife but what I really loved about it was the father/son team working behind the scenes. How beautiful was that? And I know Ivan dropped out after Harold passed away but gosh I wanted to see Ivan Reitman direct another Ghostbusters movie. Reading those hacked Sony emails was hard.

Do we know if the plan was always for Gil to direct part 4? Cause I do wonder, if Jason didn’t direct it, wouldn’t it have been neat to have Ivan step in? His son directs one, he directs the other. I don’t know if Ivan was sick but I did notice when doing the press for the movie he seemed super emotional.

One thing I love about Afterlife is the tone. It’s played straight. I know some wanted more comedy but I loved it as is. But with a new director coming in it does make me nervous about what sort of tone we get. Jason is very character driven. He’s not so much concerned with the spectacle. I hope Gil can keep that tone similar & not go silly with it. That’s why Answer the Call didn’t work for me. I couldn’t stand the “TRYING SO HARD TO BE FUNNY” tone.

With this being a Xmas release I wonder if Christmas will be part of the plot in some way? Like how GB2 is a New Years movie.

[timeware]

I bought that millennium Falcon excited as hell for it & it’s literally still in the shrink rapping. I haven’t even opened it. It’s like I’m terrified of the enormity of it. The picture on the box sure does look nice tho.

Hopefully you have all the pieces. I started the Ecto one kit around December, Januarary. It's been a fun build but very frustrating. Every time I get to making progress or a dent into that thing I get a snag. The gunner chair bag had double pieces and not the right ones I needed to complete it.
Then the red fins on the car only gave me two of the four pins to connect the pieces. When it comes to replacement parts they take a very long time to get them out. I have the worst luck of finding kits with missing pieces, pieces that I need that aren't the right color, or double pieces. Love Lego but I hate this downside to it.

[deadderek]

So anyone wanna talk box office?

I think this movie will pull in more than Afterlife did. With having been pushed back 4 or so times due to Covid, etc, I feel Afterlife didn't do as well as it could have. This new movie I think has a good chance at a much better box office.

[RichardLess]

So anyone wanna talk box office?

I think this movie will pull in more than Afterlife did. With having been pushed back 4 or so times due to Covid, etc, I feel Afterlife didn't do as well as it could have. This new movie I think has a good chance at a much better box office.

Man. It all depends. Right now it’s impossible to judge but if it doesn’t do better than Afterlife? We are in trouble.

Luckily December is primo real estate. If the movie is good and gives people a good feeling? Christmas time can be a money machine. Jumanji and Aquaman aren’t the hits they are at any other time of year.

I don’t think the pushback of GBA did much of anything. It certainly didn’t affect Top Gun, Spider-Man or Avatar.

But with GB4? So much depends on marketing. What’s the movie look like? How is it advertised? Are the OG characters front & Center or do they hide them like last time(a stupid mistake that cost the movie).

Also…with such a short schedule part of me wonders if they didn’t increase the budg. More money=more bodies and more bodies can deliver more work more quickly.

If they are smart? They will make this movie a holiday centric movie. Everyone gathers round the firehouse for the holiday season… chaos ensues. With a Christmas release date? Oh man. $$$$.

[mrmichaelt]

So anyone wanna talk box office?

I think this movie will pull in more than Afterlife did. With having been pushed back 4 or so times due to Covid, etc, I feel Afterlife didn't do as well as it could have. This new movie I think has a good chance at a much better box office.

I agree this movie will do better since it won't be hampered by the pandemic and looking at how audiences reacted to the Shazam sequel this week, this movie might have a shot against the Aquaman sequel in December. The only other 2 movies I know coming out around the same time is the Wonka and The Color Purple. So it does have 3 competitors. But with the right marketing push and a great trailer, I think it can take them. I'm optimistic about box office.

[Alphagaia]

I don't really understand why Covid was a factor last time since Spiderman brought people back into the seats in a huge way during the same time?

I believe we get about the same in BO as the last two movies.
Its a sequel, which means less people will watch it, but it has kids, so more parents might return since they and their kids had a good time the last time, if those kids survived the first hour of the movie. To us, it was a great movie with callbacks a plenty, but let's not forget the audience needs to find something to like as well.

I think the movie can, it has the potential to go beyond my somewhat sceptical expectations. I mean, Christmas time is right there and that will certainly help.

It's going to depend on the vibe the movie will show, and it has a tough act to follow if it want to hook more people than last time.

[mrmichaelt]

I don't really understand why Covid was a factor last time since Spiderman brought people back into the seats in a huge way during the same time?

The # of times and the time span. Afterlife got delayed 5 times over the course of 2 years 2020-2021. No Way Home only 3 times but all within the year 2021. I'd also argue December 2021 was way different an environment than even November 2021 in terms of Covid and whether people were willing to go out. Encanto and Eternals's opening weekend performances in November was proof of that, imo. None of that is a factor now since we're past the pandemic and are in the endemic phase and people are pretty much resuming normal activities like going to theaters. Add that to the 2nd Wonka reboot and a reboot of a classic movie The Color Purple that audiences might be on the fence about,and the looming reboot of the DC movie canon has seemingly soured audiences on the remaining movies in the old canon, the Afterlife sequel has a really great shot. I agree the big factor is the marketing.

[Alphagaia]

Yeah, some good points. I feel we ultimately don't know enough to make much of a prediction, but it's fun to predict. Really interested what the first trailer will show and how the general public will respond to it!

[zeta otaku]

What do we think of a total redesign of the proton pack? Something like Extreme Ghostbusters?

But we do need some new tech. The gunner seat was amazing. Same with the Remote Control trap.

TOTALLY butchering your post RichardLess, apologies, but I just wanna focus on these two points.

You mentioned the Zootfly gear and... man did I hate those designs. It just felt very... gigantic guns for the sake of more edge lord COD player aesthetic. The ATC gear isn't my favorite design, but I REALLY appreciate seeing how the tech evolved through the movie. That's what I want to see in Hell's Kitchen: an evolution of the 80s tech... which, realistically, was more like 70s tech since I doubt Egon was buying top of the line components while they were on a budget (they were basically flat broke right before the Sedgewick bust, remember). The proton packs and traps basically remained the same in 1989 and the New York trio's gear looked unchanged in 2021 in Summerville.

So, now that Winston is dead set on re-opening Ghostbusters, I'm sure they'll be using the old gear INITIALLY and hopefully we see it evolve a bit by the end of the movie. Streamline a few things, reduce the size of the packs (or not), different doodads and shapes on the pack and thrower, a new style PKE meter and hopefully some new tech all together (I need new toys to build!).

What I DON'T want? A PKE cellphone app... that's just... stupid. I also don't want to see a full powered pack and thrower reduced to something the size of like... a clunky water gun. A lower powered, smaller piece of proton tech designed for safer indoor usage like the mini pack introduced in Tainted Love? YES! Absolutely. Just don't make it an proton gun that can not just destroy a ghost, but erase it from history so it never existed at all or something equally as absurd.

[timeware]

It wouldn't surprise me if they go the app route. Current Cell Phones do have the ability to act as a fully functioning EMF detector in real life. As The Atlantic Paranormal Society put out an app years ago I could really see Winston develop a Ghostbusting app to bring in revenue. I would love to see Sony develop an actual Ghosthunting app to help promote the movie.
But yeah I would love to see the gear evolve into a final product towards the end of the movie.

[Alphagaia]

I somehow hope and despair the idea they might wanna go Ecto-2.

[timeware]

It's time. Unless Winston does a complete overhaul or coversion to Ecto 1-A he won't be to keen on using the vehicle for busts.New team, new car. Makes sense. I don't think they'll destroy Ecto though.

[Alphagaia]

Ghostbusters: they fly now.

[BatDan]

The only way to top that awesome Muncher sequence is to do something totally different. By that i mean taking it into the air above NYC.

An Ecto-2 test flight after a ghost leaks from the ECU.

Winston and Ray notice its missing. Hijinks ensue

A man can dream.

[Alphagaia]

Well, they can do more damage that way.

[RichardLess]

I don't really understand why Covid was a factor last time since Spiderman brought people back into the seats in a huge way during the same time?

The # of times and the time span. Afterlife got delayed 5 times over the course of 2 years 2020-2021. No Way Home only 3 times but all within the year 2021. I'd also argue December 2021 was way different an environment than even November 2021 in terms of Covid and whether people were willing to go out. Encanto and Eternals's opening weekend performances in November was proof of that, imo. None of that is a factor now since we're past the pandemic and are in the endemic phase and people are pretty much resuming normal activities like going to theaters. Add that to the 2nd Wonka reboot and a reboot of a classic movie The Color Purple that audiences might be on the fence about,and the looming reboot of the DC movie canon has seemingly soured audiences on the remaining movies in the old canon, the Afterlife sequel has a really great shot. I agree the big factor is the marketing.

We have to remember that most people aren’t us. The movie changing release dates numerous times would have a negligible affect on the box office. Most people aren’t hardcore like us. They know generally there’s a Ghostbusters movie coming out at some point in the future but until marketing starts hammering home the date, they don’t have a firm idea. If a movie getting delayed affected Box Office Avatar 2 would’ve been the first movie in history to make negative 1 billions dollars. That movie was delayed like 8 million times. Most people don’t really know or care about that stuff. It’s inside baseball + let’s say they did. What’s that line of thinking? “This movies been delayed too many times so I won’t see it”? I could see fans having that perspective out of some kind of annoyance factor but not the regular audience.

James Bond came out before GBA and it wasn’t even a movie audiences really liked, but it still did very good business. 160 million? 780 worldwide? It’s comparable to Spectre.

COVID is still keeping people away from the theatres. BUT the thing is…if they want to see something bad enough, they’ll come. Did anybody think Top Gun 2 was making 1.4 billion dollars? No. Even Spider-Man’s success was surprising(the level of it). So I do think there’s a version of GBA released on that same date that makes a lot more money. But that’s not the movie they made. Top Gun 2 shows that audiences will reward you if you treat the characters they love with respect. Hell I think COVID, in Top Gun 2’s case, INCREASED the movies box office. Same with Spider-Man. People were hungry for the familiar. The good time. More than ever.

Yes Eternals didn’t set the world on fire but look at how long it was and the reviews. Shang Chi was released prior to that and did very well domestic. There’s also the Disney+ factor where they had a short theatrical window and it was well known they’d end up on D+ soon. The kids movie were really hurt by D+. They still are.

So I think we are letting GBA off a little too easily. What it earned was respectable. But it’s hard not to be disappointed. the budget was down which was good but it didn’t raise the ceiling either. It’s the lowest grossing GB movie worldwide. Generally speaking you want to see growth over time and, COVID or not, it’s not happening. Spider-Man out grossed all other Spider-Man movies. There’s no reason GBA couldn’t have outgrossed, not adjusted for inflation, the worldwide total of the other movies. Instead it did far worse.

That’s why this next movie is so important. If it doesn’t grow the box office? Forget the budget. Just pure growth over time. It’ll be a dark time for awhile perhaps. So let’s hope for the best.

[BatDan]

Im not worried. If it doesnt do as good and we head into a dark time again?

Im okay with that. We had a really good resurgence we never thought possible 15 years ago. 2 video games with legacy actors doing voice. A great comic series. 1 remake and 2 sequels. A slew of new merch and toys. We did pretty good. We have enough to hold us over for the new dark times.



..however, we have a fresh slate. Winston and Ray are mentioned in the main plot synopsis. Hopefully they get some poster and promo love this time around, that'll spark some interest

[Alphagaia]

I'm curious how they will keep the new designs in the same 'cobbled together' style. Like others already said, time and progress moved on and Winston hit it big.
GBA had the easy out with it being old designs that Egon had to buy on the cheap from a local store, but this time, they may have the millions of Winston backing them.

Unless he says it needs to pass some tests before he accepts a sleaker version or something.

Perhaps it even creates a split between old school (Ray) and new school busters (Winston's)

[BatDan]

Or they can make a joke out of not being able to condense Egons inventions into more refined models and thusly remaining the same.

Winston “hows those new packs comin fellas?”

Team “really good! Take a look!”

Winston “uh. They look like the old ones”

Team “well ya see Mr Z..Spenglers blueprints are very peculiar. The caliberator of the cyclotron can only be minimized to a..

Winston “—okay..i get it. Carry on”

Im all for new gadgets, but the “rugged low tech-ness” of the equipment is a piece of Harolds input into the world that should continue on.