‘Ghostbusters’ celebrates 40 years with special ‘Past, Present & Future’ tribute

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of Ghostbusters, Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani are toplining a special tribute to the franchise. 

The pair make their debut in the universe with the recent Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Nanjiani plays Nadeem Razmaadi, a con artist who finds out he has a supernatural purpose; Oswalt plays Dr. Hubert Wartzki, an eccentric academic who fills in the gang on the lore of a new threat they face.

Light ‘Em Up: Ghostbusters Past, Present & Future is a 22-minute look back at the franchise, featuring new interviews and clips, as well as vintage snippets from the late Harold Ramis, who co-wrote Ghostbusters, and the late Ivan Reitman, the director of the first two movies.

“For Ivan … who did so much great stuff, [Ghostbusters] was a jewel in his crown,” says Afterlife and Frozen co-star Paul Rudd. 

Patton and Kumail also salute the special effects artists and prop makers who helped bring the world to life, including the iconic Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters’ emergency vehicle. 

Bill Murray reflected on shooting the original in 1984 while tooling around the streets of New York City without locking off traffic, as is customary for movie shoots. “Never stopping for stop lights. It was so much fun … we were just driving around, doing anything we wanted,” he recalls with a laugh. 

There’s also a salute to the fans, who kept the franchise alive — including those who suited up for Ghostbusters Day tributes in Los Angeles and, of course, New York City on June 8.