Attendees at New York Comic Con 2021 were in for a supernatural surprise when Golden Globe winner Jason Reitman decided to host a secret screening of his latest movie, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Reitman was scheduled to speak at a panel on the project and introduce some exclusive footage, but the filmmaker went a step further by playing the movie in its entirety – more than five weeks before its domestic release.

The enthusiastic audience – many of whom were in costume – applauded with glee as Jason Reitman was joined on stage by his father, original Ghostbusters director and Ghostbusters: Afterlife producer Ivan Reitman. “It’s been a while since we started making this film and you are the most patient fans on Earth,” Jason declared. “Frankly, my father and I think you’ve waited long enough.”

Originally scheduled to open in theaters in July 2020, the release date of Ghostbusters: Afterlife has been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic. While many other films have opted for an online or hybrid release strategy, the Up in the Air director and screenwriter revealed that the Sony supernatural comedy was always going to be a theatrical-only release.

“I love streaming as much as everybody else and it’s certainly helped get me through the pandemic, but I love movies,” Jason announced. “I know you guys do, too. We wanted to make a movie that could be enjoyed like this, with a huge audience and popcorn on a big screen with incredible sound. We wanted you to experience it the way you experienced it in ’84, so I’m thrilled to be at Sony, which is the studio most dedicated to theatrical films.”

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a direct sequel to 1984’s Ghostbusters and 1989’s Ghostbusters II. Described by the studio as the “next chapter” in the original Ghostbusters universe, the story follows a single mother (Carrie Coon) and her two children (Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace) as they move to Oklahoma and discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters. Alongside an appearance from the iconic Ecto-1 car, the film also sees the return of familiar faces such as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts.

During the panel, the father and son filmmaker duo spoke about the origins of the fan-favorite franchise and the soon-to-be-released sequel. Speaking about the original Ghostbusters movie, which was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, Ivan Reitman explained: “I was lucky enough to get a great idea from Dan Aykroyd. He sent me an 80-page script and we made the film in 1984, rushing all the way. It’s amazing how you responded to it. I want to thank you all for being here today and hanging in there for almost 40 years.”

Revealing the roots of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Ivan Reitman continued: “About three years ago, Jason came to me and said: ‘I think I want to talk to you about a Ghostbusters idea.’ He’d just made wonderful movies like Juno and Up in the Air, and I said to him, ‘You have a great career going. Why do you want to do what your old man did?’ Then he told me a story that knocked me out.”

Jason Reitman, who serves as director and co-writer on the new film, told the crowd: “My whole life, I was asked: ‘Would you make a Ghostbusters movie?’ I made the incorrect egotistical assumption that people want to see my Ghostbusters movie when the truth is what we all want to see is a Ghostbusters movie. We want to get back into the Ecto-1 again. We want to pick up the Proton Pack again. That’s where this came from.”

The movie’s London-born co-writer Gil Kenan – who grew up in Israel and moved to the USA when he was eight years old – relayed a very personal story about his relationship to the franchise. “Ghostbusters was the first Hollywood movie I saw when I moved to the States,” he revealed. “It was a transformative experience. It hooked me into the power of cinema and what it could do when it was firing on all cylinders. The tone of it, the magic, the scares; all of it hooked me in. For me, it was just pure passion as a fan.”

The excitement of Gil Kenan was clear to the crowd. “I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with Jason for a long time,” he continued. “We were immediately thrilled by how organically the conversation, story and characters started to come together. Before we knew it, there was a world and that journey has led us directly to this night. It’s an incredible privilege to be on this stage and to be a part of the legacy of Ghostbusting.”

While there was no news of any further sequels announced at New York Comic Con, fans went wild when Jason Reitman admitted that the door has been left open for more movies. When quizzed about the future of the franchise, he answered: “We wanted to make a movie that opened the universe to all kinds of stories. I want to see Ghostbusters movies from all of my favorite directors and I hope this movie sets the table for them.”

Before leaving the stage, the filmmaker pleaded with the audience to keep the movie’s plot secret. “I want everyone whoever gets to see this film to see it the right way,” Jason Reitman concluded. “I want them to see it the way you’re about to see it. Even if you love this film, please do not spoil it.”