Who you gonna call? McKenna Grace (Phoebe), Logan Kim (Podcast) and Celeste O’Connor (Lucky) are supernatural experts after their roles in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
“It’s not, like, a remake or a sequel,” McKenna, 15, tells J-14 exclusively about the movie, which premieres on Friday, November 19. “This movie is so special. It’s so heartfelt. And it’s emotional on a level that the other Ghostbusters — because it calls back to the other Ghostbusters, it’s so emotional. Whenever people watch it, they’ll understand.”
Taking place more than 30 years after the first-ever Ghostbusters movie premiered in 1984, this new installment has so many Easter eggs for fans of the original franchise.
“There are so many things to love,” Celeste, 22, says of the movie. “But I think [fans will] love all the new characters because, I don’t know, I think all of us have such unique personalities and we have our own things going on. A lot of young people will be able to be introduced into the Ghostbusters universe through our eyes because our characters are just discovering all this stuff for the first time. I think we’re the best part. No, but it’s cool because we get to bring in a new, a new generation of fans and Ghostbusters lovers.”
Along with the new characters, some of the original stars — Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray — also make an appearance in the movie. Celeste tells J-14 that it was “amazing” getting to work with these veteran actors.
“I don’t usually get starstruck, but I definitely was starstruck when I met them. They were also so sweet and open and welcoming to all of us,” they add. “I met Ernie, he gave me a big hug. Bill was cracking jokes. I remember when I first met Dan, he gave me this huge hug and was like, ‘Welcome to the Ghostbusters family.’ It was the sweetest moment ever.”
McKenna adds, “Any moment spent with them was a special memory. … It’s kind of like being around these mythical creatures. It’s so crazy. … They are just really, really sweet, and it’s great because sometimes you never know if you’re going to work with like your heroes and they’re going to be not the kindest. Fortunately, I’ve never had that experience. All the people I’ve worked with have been so kind.”
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star also notes that it was “really cool getting to watch them interact after all of these years.”
Ghostbusters: Afterlife premieres in theaters on Friday, November 19.
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