Bill Murray Spoke About The Sad Reality Of Suiting Up Again In Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Bustin' ghosts still makes them feel good, but suiting up just isn't the same for the original Ghostbusters, who recently returned to the big screen in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife". The film takes the "Ghostbusters" storyline out of New York City and into the small fictional town of Summerville, Oklahoma, where the family of Egon Spengler (previously played by the late Harold Ramis) tries to start a new life in a farmhouse they inherited due to Egon's sudden death. The science-driven Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) uncovers research from her late grandfather that leads her to discover a paranormal activity that's causing unexplained earthquakes in the quiet town. She joins forces with her friend Podcast (Logan Kim), her teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), her brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and Trevor's friend Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) to prevent the evil Gozer from taking over. And while they make a really good team, Phoebe calls the original experts for backup – Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and a ghost version of Egon unite to help Phoebe destroy Gozer.
The on-screen return of the original Ghostbusters is a big moment in the film, creating a full-circle moment for the franchise. And while he was happy to be back, Murray says there was a sad reality he had to face when suiting up.
Murray says one classic prop is still tough to work with
It's been more than 30 years since the release of the first two "Ghostbusters" films, and according to Bill Murray, suiting up is not as easy as it used to be. Much of it has to do with that iconic proton pack. During an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", Murray said, "It hurt. It was a lot of pain. For some reason ... these directors just like to say, 'Okay, now you guys are all down on the ground,' with this thing on your back. And then you gotta roll over like a dead bug and try to get up while I'm wearing a vacuum cleaner." Murray added that the proton packs in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" were not as heavy as the ones originally worn in 1984's "Ghostbusters," but he joked that it didn't make much of a difference due to the team's current level of physical strength.
Likewise, the younger stars of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace, also talked about the weight of the proton packs during an interview with "Today." "They're very heavy. They have like 20-pound ones, and they have the lighter ones. So, they're like 10 [pounds]," said Grace.
While it is currently unclear if Murray will be donning that proton pack again anytime soon, Sony and Ghost Corps have announced several new projects to expand the beloved franchise. This includes an animated movie and a sequel to "Ghostbusters: Afterlife".