With filming already begun on Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot, the director has taken to Twitter over the last few days and revealed the team’s old yet new accouterments. Working from the original premise of paranormal investigators who treat ghosts like a one would treat roaches or rodents, Feig and his costuming/props departments have taken what worked in the 80s and found a way to make it even more rough and ready for the next generation of ‘Busters.
Slated for release in July of next year, Ghostbusters stars Feig’s veteran ensemble players Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as well as Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. The plot goeth thusly:
Wiig and McCarthy play a pair of unheralded authors who write a book positing that ghosts are real. Flash forward a few years and Wiig lands a prestigious teaching position at Columbia U. (Like the original, the story takes place in New York City, even though it’s being shot in Boston.) Which is pretty sweet, until her book resurfaces and she is laughed out of academia.
Wiig reunites with McCarthy and the other two proton pack-packing phantom wranglers, and she gets some sweet revenge when ghosts invade Manhattan and she and her team have to save the world. [Source: The Boston Herald]
Well, if the “phantom wranglers” are going to get their sweet revenge, then they’re gonna need the right equipment. First, Feig gave us a look at the jumpsuits the ladies will be sporting.
#whatyougonnawearpic.twitter.com/o5oyHeIaSx
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 29, 2015
While this isn’t a huge deviation from the original uniforms from 1984, it’s worth noting that those were flightsuits while the newer jumpsuits are playing up the firefighter motif that makes sense when the team operates out of a refurbished firehouse. Even a little thing like adding the reflective stripes plays up the “emergency service” aspect and shows how the Ghostbusters approach their job. It’s splitting hairs, but the attention to detail shows that Feig and his team aren’t playing around with the concept.
There’s even a pick of McCarthy wearing her jumpsuit.
via FlameFlynet
Next, Feig showed revealed the new proton packs along with a helpful diagram of the various components for those in need of the terminology when constructing their own.
#whatyougonnashootpic.twitter.com/sGsYSgS1Io
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 30, 2015
#themoreyouknowpic.twitter.com/4t2wMtvC3q — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 6, 2015
Again, it’s the details that really set the newer model apart original. The look of the old proton pack was slightly more put together than this, though it still had a polish that gave the audience the feeling that Spengler and Stantz had already gone through a refinement stage, but didn’t have time to do a proper field test. Hence, the elevator scene. The new model looks like how I imagine the ’84 pack would’ve looked during phase one of construction. It’s rusted and dirty, giving off the vibe that the team had to pick through a scrap yard to find the right pieces. Best of all, with the main pieces of costuming down, we get to see things like this:
#whatyougonnashoot First to Cosplay new Ghostbusters! pic.twitter.com/IgcAn84zBn — David Silva (@mirabellemusing) July 2, 2015
Women cosplaying as Ghostbusters isn’t new, but the fact that a little girl is already enjoying the fruits of a new team of Ghostbusters, who all happen to be women, is just heartwarming. She now has a group of smart, science-oriented women to look to and go “I wanna dress and be just like them!” For Science!
Lastly, Feig revealed the new wheels our ladies will be driving.
#whattheygonnadrivepic.twitter.com/bBLEhrfTEQ
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 8, 2015
And no your eyes aren’t fooling you, that’s a hearse dressed up as the new Ecto-1. The concept hasn’t changed at all. In the ’84 movie, the Ecto-1 was a ’59 Cadillac ambulance/hearse. Makes sense, if you operate out of a firehouse then your vehicle would most likely be a revamped ambulance with awesome sirens and lights. The new Ecto-1 doesn’t mess with what was already a good idea, though there is something hilariously morbid about using just a repurposed hearse to catch ghosts.
Overall, the design aesthetic of the new Ghostbusters is coming along nicely and I personally can’t wait to see the movie. But what do you think? Let me know in the comments.
The Maniacal Geek 