Ghostbusters seeks survival in theaters after controversy and negative reviews; see trajectory

Summary
Ghostbusters was a popular franchise in the 80s-90s, with its first film in 1984 and a sequel in 1989, but the 2016 female reboot suffered negative reviews and box office losses. Mais Além (2021) gave up on the reboot and was received somewhat lukewarm. Ice Apocalypse (2024) comes to give the franchise a new makeover.

Anyone who grew up between the 1980s and 1990s has no doubt that The ghost hunters It was once one of the most popular franchises in contemporary cinema. From the iconic theme song to the uniforms that easily transform into costumes, there was nothing for anyone when it came to the group led by Bill Murray. But 40 years after the release of the first film, attempts to reprise the success of yesteryear have proven unsuccessful and problematic.

Who are you going to call? The ghost hunters!

Launched in 1984, the first The ghost hunters was directed by Ivan Reitman and brought together Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts. In the plot, three parapsychologists decide to open their own ghost hunting business when a new dimension opens up in New York City.

Instant fever, the film became the second highest-grossing film of 1984, and gave rise to two animated TV series for children and the sequel Ghostbusters 2launched in 1989.

Remember them? 10 actors who left their career on screen

Years later, an attempt to revitalize the saga

Aside from the comic books published by various publishers from 1988 onwards, everything was calm in the Ghostbusters universe until the creativity crisis that hit Hollywood in the 2010s.

Female reboot and wave of hate

67y90It was on this hook that Sony Pictures decided to release, in 2016, a remake of Ghostbusters with an all-female cast. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, the film directed by Paul Feig brought together a strong cast and crew, but that was not able to save an uninspired idea from failure.

At the time of its release, the film was the target of a wave of hatred from conservatives who did not accept the idea of ​​a feature film. Ghostbusterss entirely starring women. The attacks were misogynistic and racist, and this harmed the film’s trajectory on the big screen.

With specialized criticism, Ghostbuster it received mixed reviews, which also contributed to the low box office numbers. After grossing just US$229 million, the film ended its theatrical run with a loss of US$70 million according to the ScreenRant portal.

“There is no end to the stories we can tell, and there are many reboots and different interpretations. I don’t understand saying any of them are wrong, I don’t understand the fight over who can be the most negative and hateful. Everyone should be able to tell the story they want. If you don’t want to see it, don’t see it.”

Melissa McCarthy told ET Canada, defending the film in 2021.

Ghostbusters: Beyond: Here We Go Again

Although the failed attempt in 2016 suggested that the world wasn’t very interested in more Ghostbusters, Sony didn’t give up and released it in 2021 Ghostbusters – Beyond. This time, the story would be a direct continuation of the 1989 film.

This means that the studio has completely given up on the female reboot, leaving the title out of the saga that began in the 80s, to consider Further as the true sequel, the one and only Ghostbusters 3.

With the return of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, the film had Ivan Reitman as producer, passing the directing role to his son, Jason Reitman. Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard and Carrie Coon form the cast, telling the story of a single mother and her two sons, who move to a new town and discover they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and their secret legacy. of his grandfather.

Nor did the lukewarm reception Ghostbusters 3 take off. With a 64% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes aggregator, the film was not hated, but it is far from being a fan favorite. Even so, another addition to the franchise is coming to the big screen: Ghostbusters: Ice Apocalypse.

Will it heat up the box office?

Now directed by Gil Kenan, Ice Apocalypse sees the Spengler family return to the iconic New York barracks, where the original Ghostbusters worked in their glory years. When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must band together to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

At the United States box office, although it made its debut at the top, the film found little competition and received negative reviews from the specialized press. Without as much commercial appeal as it once had, Ghostbusters is looking for a makeover. “I feel like one of the things we explored in this film is that there are mythologies that speak not just of ancient threats, but of hunting ancient ghosts, and that the team in 1984 wasn’t the first to come together to find a way to stop a supernatural threat”, the director told GamesRadar, suggesting that there is still a lot to tell in the franchise. But does the public still want to see it?

Source: Redação Entre Telas