Ghostbusters Afterlife Concept Art Reveals Terrifying Gozer Designs

Concept art for Ghostbusters: Afterlife shows that the ghosts could have been way more terrifying than what was shown on the screen. After being delayed by nearly a year and a half, the film was finally released in November. Directed by Jason Reitman, son of the original films’ director Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, and Paul Rudd.

The film follows the grandchildren of Egon Spengler, portrayed by the late Harold Ramis, as they move into their grandfather’s farmhouse. Not knowing much about their grandfather, the kids learn his secrets and why he abandoned his family. Along the way, both old and new ghosts begin to haunt the sleepy Oklahoma town, and it’s up to a new generation of Ghostbusters to save the day. Audiences flocked to see the new Ghostbusters film and were pleasantly pleased with the blend of nostalgia and reverence for the original films.

While there were many ghosts to be seen in concept art shared by Collider, some of the original ghost designs are drastically different from the ones seen in the family-friendly feature. This ranges from the Gozer, the film’s primary antagonist, having a more demonic and terrifying look, rather than the one reminiscent of the original 1984 film. Muncher, this film’s replacement for Slimer, has multiple arms, sharp teeth, and hairs popping up everywhere.

Jason Reitman said that this film would be about passing the torch to a new generation, in other words, making the Ghostbusters name recognizable to a Gen Z audience. Some of these original designs would more than likely push the Ghostbusters franchise into darker territory, causing it to have a more mature feel. With some of these designs, this film would have been pushing that family-friendly image that is often associated with the franchise.

Ghostbusters has always been considered a family comedy despite its more mature aspects. While the film emphasizes nostalgia, family is at the center of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. It makes sense that Reitman would choose to go back to Gozer’s original design and make Muncher more similar to Slimer. From a nostalgic angle, these evoke memories of the original film and the antics of the original four Ghostbusters. From an audience angle, the less demonic designs allow a younger audience to see the movie and not get too scared by what they see on the screen. Regardless, it seems that the filmmakers have made the right decision as Ghostbusters: Afterlife has grossed over $175 million at the box office, and there are already discussions for more Ghostbusters sequels.

Source: Collider