When “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was released this fall, it seemed to be far less controversial than the 2016 reboot “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.” ‘Afterlife’ definitely fits the model of the trendy legacy sequel tropes we’ve been seeing over the past few years by bringing back a ton of nostalgia and fan service while also trying to lay the groundwork for future films. Oh yeah, and it is directed by Jason Reitman, the son of “Ghostbusters” filmmaker Ivan Reitman. But that doesn’t mean we are going to end 2021 without a little bit of “Ghostbusters” controversy.
You see, recently it was announced that Sony is releasing a “Ghostbusters” Ultimate Collection box set in February, timed with the release of ‘Afterlife’ on home media. Clearly, this “ultimate” collection would include “Ghostbusters,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.” How else would it be a comprehensive collection if it didn’t include Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot? Well, you’d be wrong, as the box set has physical copies of the Reitman films (both Jason and Ivan) but curiously omits Feig’s addition to the franchise.
And wouldn’t you know it? Paul Feig noticed this as well. After the announcement, the filmmaker tweeted, “Um … @SonyPictures, I know this must be a mistake. We do have a lot of fans and Bill, Dan and Ernie 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”
Sure, the mention of winning a Kids Choice Award isn’t necessarily the best argument he could have made. However, he’s not wrong in saying that ‘Answer the Call,’ though not the fan-favorite film, is still part of the legacy of the franchise and should be included.
The latest wrinkle in the controversy seems to be that Feig’s words didn’t fall on deaf ears, as Sony added more information about the box set, including the mention that ‘Answer the Call’ will be included in the package… as a digital download. So, you won’t get a physical copy of the film, but you can always watch it digitally.
Feig hasn’t responded to this news, but you have to assume he’s still going to be a little upset over the slight. Sure, being there digitally is better than absolutely nothing. But it’s also still a slap in the face for the studio to basically concede to the toxic fan community that caused so much heartache for the folks involved in “Answer the Call.”
The filmmaker did tweet something else after his initial question for Sony Pictures. And yes, it appears that his asking Sony why ‘Answer the Call’ wasn’t included in the box set seemed to reignite the fan hatred of his female-led reboot.
He tweeted, “Ghostbusters:ATC haters, have to say I admire your passion. The fact that you’ve spent the days of Christmas sending me angry tweets instead of simply enjoying a lovely holiday just makes me want to send you all lots of love and joy. Truly. Wishing you all the best. Seriously.❤️”
“Ghostbusters” Ultimate Collection box set is supposed to arrive on February 1, 2022.