New Ghostbusters: Afterlife Plot and Character Details Revealed

Director Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife will continue the story of the original movie franchise, in a film that seeks to pass the torch of the original Ghostbusters team to whole new generation. Ever since Reitman released the announcement trailer for his Ghostbusters direct sequel early this year, fans have been waiting to see what the mysterious project is all about - and now, as 2019 comes to an end, they're finally getting their wish. A Ghostbusters: Afterlife poster and gallery of first-look images have all been released today - and now we have some additional plot details to share, as well.

Here's what was revealed in regards to Ghostbusers: Afterlife, in a new feature article about the movie:

The article seems to hint that Ghostbusters: Afterlife's main characters Callie (The Leftovers's Carrie Coon) and her two children Phoebe (Captain Marvel's McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard) are, as has been rumored, the estranged daughter and grandchildren of original Ghostbusters member, Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis). Egon's family moves to small town Oklahoma, after learning she's inherited a piece of property from her late father. There, mom and kids begin to discover who Egon really was, and what the legacy and responsibility of the Ghostbusters means, in their hands.

As Jason Reitman explains to Vanity Fair:

"As the family arrives at an old farm, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters. Trevor and Phoebe are about to find out who their grandfather was and whether they're ready to pick up the proton pack themselves."

Apparently, gear-head enthusiast Trevor will be the one to find Ecto-1 in the barn (a scene teased in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife announcement teaser), while science geek Phoebe will find a different iconic tool used by the Ghostbusters: the PKE Meter!

"The joy of cowriting a film like this is imagining the sound of Ecto-1's engine revving back to life," said Reitman. "Or the moment a PKE meter lights up for the first time and begins leading you toward your destiny."

Of course, the Ghostbusters weren't just a social club - they had a sacred mission to protect our world from supernatural threats. Well, in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, there will be a major new supernatural threat - one that Phoeb notices to be steadily growing, within in a mine that's located near the Oklahoma town.

However, as it turns out, The Ghostbusters' 1984 stand against Gozer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man has all but faded from the memory of modern day teens (as tends to happen), so Trevor and Phoebe will need to get some contextual help from an older guide: enter Paul Rudd's summer school teacher character, Mr. Grooberson. Grooberson was a kid during "the Manhattan Crossrip" incident that the Ghostbusters stopped, and has been an obsessed fanboy ever since. It will be Grooberson who helps guide Phoebe and Trevor toward dusting off the Ghostbusters mantle - hopefully in time to save the town from whatever is in that haunted mine.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits theaters on July 10, 2020. Check back Monday for the first trailer.