Exciting but ill-defined news came today in the form of a new trailer for the old Ghostbusters. Yes, the quirky quartet of paranormal eliminators announced via Facebook (click to see the non-embedable trailer) are returning to theaters in October. This October. October 2011. Just in time for Halloween.
Which is awesome.
But… they're hazy on the details. Is this a nationwide re-release like we had for Alien and The Exorcist, or some kind of "one night only" thing planned for October 31st or something. We'll be back with more details as they come in.
Until then, we'd just like to support the decision to re-release a classic film in theaters. Frankly, we don't understand why studios don't do this more often. Beloved films like Ghostbusters or Raiders of the Lost Ark or Back to the Future have an enormous built-in audience that would certainly make a trek to their local multiplex to see their favorite film projected on the big screen again, or for younger fans possibly even for the first time. Frankly, it's a "win-win" for the studios and the fans alike. We get to see a great classic movie in a high class viewing environment, and they get to rake in extra cash from an investment they already recouped decades ago. Seriously, all you have to do is set aside a couple of million dollars (tops) to strike new prints and advertise the release. Even if these movies don't crack the top five at the box office, you're looking at nothing but profit and good will from appreciative fans.
It's also important to remember that the re-release of Ghostbusters comes at time when Ghostbusters 3 seems more likely than ever. So if you actually want to see the adventures of Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston continue, you'd probably be wise to go see the original film theatrically to prove that the original, non-rebooted franchise still has a dedicated fan base.
CraveOnline will be back with more Ghostbusters news in just a second. Right now, we've always wanted to do this. Aaaaaaaand… the flowers are still standing!
