Ghostbusters 2016 Director Paul Feig Congratulates Afterlife on Box Office Success

By Jamie Jirak

Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit theaters this weekend and it's on track to have a successful opening at the box office. The movie has been met with mixed reactions, earning a 61% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes after 201 reviews. ComicBook.com's Spencer Perry gave the movie a 2 out of 5, saying it has "abysmally forced references" and while "it's not poorly made on the whole, it's just exhausting." However, audiences seem to be more forgiving of the film, which has a 95% audience score after 1,000+ reviews. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the first foray into the franchise since Paul Feig's women-led reboot hit theaters in 2016. The director took to Twitter today to congratulate Afterlife director, Jason Reitman, on the movie's box office success.

"Huge congrats to ⁦@JasonReitman and the whole #GhostbustersAfterlife cast and crew on this amazing opening weekend. The film is brilliant. So exciting to have a whole new generation bustin'! Here's to many more ecto adventures! #weareallghostbusters," Feig wrote. "You are a class act, a great friend, and a brilliant director. My heart is filled with gratitude for @paulfeig, the brilliant ATC cast and crew. Thank you for expanding the GB universe and giving me the courage to attempt a 👻 movie. #weareallghostbusters," Reitman replied. You can view with tweets below:

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was one of the many films that got delayed due to the pandemic. When the first trailer was released way back in 2019, Feig had another supportive response. 

"This looks so awesome," Feig wrote on social media. "Huge congrats to @JasonReitman and his amazing cast and crew. I cannot WAIT to see this!" Feig previously showed support for the new film after Reitman was quoted saying something many interpreted as a dig on Feig's movie. The 2016 feature film starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth, with cameos from the original stars (much like the upcoming movie). Despite grossing over $229.1 million at the worldwide box office, the film was considered a failure due to the massive production and marketing budget.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife focuses on a family played by Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard. In the movie, the trio is forced to move to a family home in a small town where a connection to the original Ghostbusters team and the secret legacy hidden there by the children's grandfather, Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler). The surviving original Ghostbusters -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson -- will return for the film with Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver also set to reprise their roles from the original films. Paul Rudd is also starring in the new film. 

"Jason [Reitman] is the perfect inheritor of the legacy as a writer, storyteller, and director," Aykroyd told Cigar Aficionado. "His vision derives seamlessly, respectfully, and honestly from the original films. Can't wait to see the lines around the multiplex."

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now playing in theaters. 

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