Marvel's Paul Rudd has explained how he dealt with the pressure of fronting Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the latest sequel in the supernatural comedy franchise.
The Ant-Man actor is obviously no stranger to joining hugely popular series, having been introduced to the MCU back in 2015, but it's no secret that Ghostbusters fans are pretty protective when it comes to the 1984 film's legacy.
To avoid that expectation interfering with his performance, Rudd said he chose to see his involvement as "more of an honour" than something to be daunted by – an attitude that was bolstered by the fact that Jason Reitman, son of the original's director Ivan Reitman, was taking the reins this time around.
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"I don't really dwell on that kind of stuff because it can be overwhelming at times. It was good. I mean, we're always aware of the love that a lot of people have for the original," Rudd told Digital Spy in a new interview.
"I thought, instead of the pressure it was more of an honour, I'd say. And it was a very cool thing to look over to the side and see Jason Reitman sitting there conferring with his dad, Ivan, and knowing what this franchise means to them, and the love and care and passion that they put into it."
Also starring Fargo's Carrie Coon, Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard and The Haunting of Hill House's McKenna Grace, Ghostbusters: Afterlife centres on Callie Spengler and her two children, Trevor and Phoebe, who move out to an Oklahoman ranch left to them by Callie's father Egon. (You know, Harold Ramis's OG spook-hunting parapsychologist?!)
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There, the youngsters learn about their grandfather's past – and inadvertently find themselves racing to stop a ghoul-filled apocalypse.
"Telling the story about family and seeing art, and kind of seeing art and real life play out – it was a really special kind of vibe, you just don't get on a lot of things," added Rudd.
"A lot of movies don't have this kind of backstory. It was really kind of an honour to be included. And I think I felt that, more than the pressure of trying to live up to the original — which I never would ever try."
Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases on Thursday, November 18.
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Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance film critic and journalist, with a focus on J-drama & film, and the Japanese production industry. She was previously Locations Editor at Screen International and Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. Her writing can also befound in Curzon, 1883, and more. A born and raised New Yorker, she loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.
