NME Journalist James McMahon took to Twitter to decry the first Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer.
McMahon wrote on Twitter:
“F*** that Ghostbusters trailer. You don’t reward regressive fanboys – many of whom created an atmosphere of racist, mysoginist toxicity that led to a leading lady leaving this very platform – by MAKING THE VERY FILM THEY WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE”
Fuck that Ghostbusters trailer. You don’t reward regressive fanboys – many of whom created an atmosphere of racist, mysoginist toxicity that led to a leading lady leaving this very platform – by MAKING THE VERY FILM THEY WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE
— james (@jamesjammcmahon) December 9, 2019
Related: First Official Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trailer Arrives!
McMahon would not be alone in his opinion. Matthew Rodriguez, the editor of The Body, stated:
lmao of course Ghostbusters: Afterlife is about family and lineage and legacy and all these other fucking white patriarchal American values. It’s literally a reaction to the idea of 4 women, including one Black woman. The franchise must assert its “REAL” predecessor.
lmao of course Ghostbusters: Afterlife is about family and lineage and legacy and all these other fucking white patriarchal American values. It’s literally a reaction to the idea of 4 women, including one Black woman. The franchise must assert its “REAL” predecessor.
— 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚙𝚒𝚡𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 (@mathewrodriguez) December 9, 2019
He added, “sorry, not predecessor, I mean successor.”
sorry, not predecessor, I meant successor 🙂
— 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚙𝚒𝚡𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 (@mathewrodriguez) December 9, 2019
Related: Opinion: Ghostbusters Is The True Antecedent To Current Superhero Franchises
WIRED staff producer Adam Lance Garcia would note that he’s intrigued by the first trailer, but would have to justify that opinion by writing:
“This, of course, is not to discount Ghostbusters (2016), a film that was unfairly attacked by the worst kind of humans, (most of whom were men, because men are inherently emotional and irrational and get angry when women do anything, to which I say, go f*** yourselves dudes.)”
This, of course, is not to discount Ghostbusters (2016), a film that was unfairly attacked by the worst kind of humans, (most of whom were men, because men are inherently emotional and irrational and get angry when women do anything, to which I say, go fuck yourselves dudes.)
— Adam Lance Garcia (@AdamLanceGarcia) December 9, 2019
Related: Ghostbusters Director Jason Reitman Walks Back “Hand the Movie Back to the Fans” Comments
The Verge’s Julia Alexander made it clear she disliked the trailer. She wrote:
“The new Ghostbusters trailer looks awful, and I’m sorry that we keep making Finn Wolfhard play Finn Wolfhard in a different city.
Only way I can imagine enjoyiing this if I imagine Paul Rudd is Scott Lang and Ant-Man is just like, ‘F*** it, time travel’s real, why not ghosts!'”
The new Ghostbusters trailer looks awful, and I’m sorry that we keep making Finn Wolfhard play Finn Wolfhard in a different city.
Only way I can imagine enjoying this is if I imagine Paul Rudd is Scott Lang and Ant-Man is just like, “Fuck it, time travel’s real, why not ghosts!”
— Julia Alexander (@loudmouthjulia) December 9, 2019
However, there were plenty of others who had a very different take on the film. Twitter user Quinton Reviews described the new trailer as a “film [that] seems like a love-letter made by a group of fans.”
The reason #Ghostbusters2020 looks better than Ghostbusters 2016 isn’t about politics or gender. It’s about the fact that the new film seems like a love-letter made by a group of fans, and the 2016 film felt like something they made because they all had a free summer.
— Quinton Reviews 🎬 (@Q_Review) December 9, 2019
Related: Sigourney Weaver Confirms Return for New Ghostbusters Film
Everglade Angels author Blake Northcott also commented on the trailer noting that it appears that film studios have learned a lesson from “disastrous (and pricey) 2017 & 2018 experiments.”
That lesson being, “Don’t screw with franchises. Don’t mess with tone. Please customers, NOT critics. They’re catching on.”
GREAT Wonder Woman, Ghostbusters, and Black Widow trailers all within a few days!
The common thread: studios are learning from disastrous (and pricey) 2017 & 2018 experiments.
Don’t screw with franchises. Don’t mess with tone. Please customers, NOT critics. They’re catching on.
— Blake Northcott (@BlakeNorthcott) December 9, 2019
Washington Times reporters and the creator of Souldfinder: Demon’s Match added, “It’s a Ghostbusters trailer that makes me want to see a Ghostbusters movie. Weird. I was told that I irrationally have a thing against Ghostbusters a few years ago.”
It’s a Ghostbusters trailer that makes me want to see a Ghostbusters movie. Weird. I was told that I irrationally have a thing against Ghostbusters a few years ago. https://t.co/D9Nub1UVz8
— Douglas Ernst (@douglasernst) December 9, 2019
What did you think of the new Ghostbusters trailer? What do you make of McMahon’s comments?