Ghostbusters returned to theaters earlier this year with Afterlife. Directed by Jason Reitman, the movie served as a direct continuation of Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel. It wasn't, however, the first attempt to bring the franchise to modern audiences. In 2016, Sony released Ghostbusters (also known as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call), directed by Paul Feig and starring Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Unfortunately, the film was heavily maligned prior to its release (mostly due to its all-female cast), and once it actually premiered, audiences didn't embrace it.
Despite decent reviews, Answer the Call was a financial dud (it earned $229 million worldwide on a reported $144 million budget) and turned into a sort of pariah in its franchise. The movie had mostly been forgotten as the years passed, but it's in the news once again due to a controversy surrounding an upcoming box set.
To accompany the home-media arrival of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in February, Sony will release Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection on 4K and Blu-ray, a set comprised of Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but not of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. The film's absence in this upcoming release caught the attention of the movie's director, Paul Feig.
The Bridesmaids and Spy helmer took to Twitter to confront Sony Pictures about the omission, bringing up the movie's critical reception and the fact that original Ghostbusters stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson appeared in it:
In case you're unable to read the tweet, Feig wrote:
"Um... [Sony], I know this must be a mistake. We do have a lot of fans and [Bill Murray], [Dan Aykroyd] and [Ernie Hudson] were in it and it won the Kids Choice Award for Best Feature Film the year it came out. So, I guess this was just an oversight? #weareallghostbusters."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony "did not immediately respond to a request for comment" about the matter. When it comes to franchises as popular as Ghostbusters, matters like this one are usually handled in private, so it's surprising to see it spilling out onto social media.
Feig has, rightfully, been a staunch defender of Answer the Call, having faced a great deal of vitriol leading up to its release. Back in 2016, when criticism against the film was at an all-time high, Feig supported his cast while talking to USA Today:
“[You] get this microfraction of people that just have a problem with women, [It's] shocking that in 2016 that would even be an issue [...] I'm just trying to show off people with talent I know they have and give them the roles and let them shine. That's what you do with men [...] That's what you do with anyone that’s talented."
It's unclear whether Sony will end up including Ghostbusters: Answer the Call in the upcoming box set following this controversy. However, given the proximity of the collection's release, that's unlikely.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife will arrive on home media on February 1st, 2022.