There are many fans who are expecting to notice the absence of Harold Ramis whenGhostbusters: Afterlifearrives later this month, but while his character is still an integral part of the story, and he certainly appears to live on in spirit, it seems that being a part of the movie has made Paul Rudd miss the late actor. In the new movie, Rudd plays a teacher who has a knowledge of the Ghostbusters past, and when the granddaughter of Egon Spengler brings him a ghost trap, then it is only a matter of time before he is swept up in all kinds of spooky goings on. Speaking toScreen Rant, Rudd revealed how working on the movie brought back memories of the Ramis movies he used to watch as well of those that allowed him to work with the actor, writer and director, such asKnocked UpandYear One.
Paul Ruddsaid, “I did know Harold, and I was such a huge fan growing up. Obviously, from the films that he’s written and being an SCTV fan, when I met him for the first time I was pretty nervous. He worked with Judd - we both worked together on Apatow’s filmKnocked Up, and he played Seth’s dad. We didn’t have scenes together, but he was around and I met him. I got to know him a little bit. "
He continued, “I worked for a day or two on the movieYear Onethat he directed, and we had done readings together. I got to spend a little time with him and went out to dinner with him. He was the loveliest man. Really funny, really calm and Buddhist-like. If you look atGroundhog Day, that’s Buddhism. He was a really thoughtful person, considerate, funny. And he was very forthcoming in talking about what it was like starting out, talking about Bill Murray and Belushi and working on Second City. I really liked him. And working on this made me really miss him and wish that I could talk to him again, because I was just taken with him. Like I think most people were who got to know him.”
Rudd concluded with the simple statement aboutHarold Ramis, “Working onAfterlifemade me wish that I could talk to him again.”
It is not just Rudd that has felt this way about making the movie, as originalGhostbustersdirector Ivan Reitman previously spoke of how to him the new movie is a “Spengler story.” From what we know aboutAfterlife, the story focuses on the legacy of the first movie, with the return of Terror Dogs and Gozer, the three originalGhostbustersand a film that, according to early screenings, has gone a long way to making sure that thisGhostbustersmovie doesn’t let down the fans that have wanted to see the franchise continue for over three decades.
Ghostbusters: Afterlifewill arrive in theaters on November 19th, after an additional year’s wait thanks to the Covid pandemic. This news originated atScreen Rant.
