FIRST LOOK: Ghostbusters: Night Shift
- Report All Ghosts
- 22 minutes ago
- 6 min read
This morning saw the official Netflix panel during this year's Annecy Animation Festival. To help kick things off was none other than the Ghostbusters: Night Shift presentation hosted by Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, Elliott Kalan and Ben Hibon.
Few projects have been as highly anticipated as the upcoming animated series hosted by Netflix, as it's been a long road since it's initial announcement during Sony's Ecto-Fest in 2022 at the very same time production was announced on Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Meanwhile, as of today, we finally got our first look at the new supernaturally spectacular series as well as a logline to help set up the over all vibe of the show!
GHOSTBUSTERS: NIGHT SHIFT LOGLINE: “New York City, 1994 — Five years after the Ghostbusters took the Statue of Liberty for a walk, a new wave of supernatural terror hits the Big Apple, forcing a group of scrappy, young New Yorkers — untrained, underappreciated and kinda sorta responsible for the problem — to put on proton packs, face their fears and bust some ghosts.”
Additionally, thanks to Drew Taylor at The Warp, we also have further details about the plot of the show as well as an in depth description of some of the footage shown during the presentation! As such, we're able to confirm earlier rumors by industry insider Jeff Sneider, that the series takes place in the 90's during Walter Peck's initial mayoral run, which is sure to cause its own turbulence for the new ghost-busting team!
"Night Shift" more importantly will take place between Ghostbusters II and 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, making it within the film universe's canon and will, "fill in a pivotal gap in “Ghostbusters” lore." Hopefully eluding to the period in which Egon packs up and heads out to Summerville to investigate the Shandor Mines. This would leave a sort of Ghostbusters-less vacuum in the world that this new team has to help fill! Continuing, the team promises a similar vibe in which they used to describe the world of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. "Night Shift" won't only be bringing some legitimate laughs, but more than a few scares as well.
The series following this younger team of ghost-zapping heroes, will see the group of teens "kit bashing" familiar Ghostbusters technology, lending a sort of hand crafted and wonky feel to some otherwise classic technology. The gear almost reflects the characters using it, as they're described as being in an “earlier, messier stage of their lives.” Likewise, assuming Spengler has already taken off with the iconic ride, we wont be seeing the Ecto-1 but instead the team's own vehicle in the form of a van.
What's On Netflix was able to provide readers with an idea as to what to expect in regards to the new gear!
-Proton Packs: Featuring a low-tech energy beam that is “random and angular in shape, kind of unstable in its feet.”
-A DIY PKE Meter: Built using spare parts from a Sony PlayStation 1!
-The Ghost Drive: Modified with recycled skateboard wheels, a spinning mirror mechanism, and bass/guitar pedals.
-Ecto-94: Operating without permission to use Ecto-1, the team drives a gently pre-used van customized with spray paint and a “spinning roof turret for some precarious Ghostbusting on the go.”
Finally, no professional paranormal elimination team is complete without its own "Slimer".
The group will be joined by a new Terror Dog puppy! Continuing a newer Ghostbusters tradition of taking something that would terrify you beyond the capacity for rational thought, and making it smaller (i.e. Mini Pufts). Just make sure you've got some Milkbones on standby.
Taylor goes on to detail some of the footage shown today at Annecy, describing it as intense! "It was actually scary, which was part of the fun of the first “Ghostbusters” film, especially if you were too young to be watching those kinds of movies. It felt like you were getting away with something, which is very cool and very fun."
The footage sees the new superstars of the supernatural coming face to face with a ghastly conductor who's manifested in New York's Grand Central Terminal. As a team member becomes possessed, an older teammate tries desperately to break her free! While not confirmed as of yet, accounts seem to agree the older ghost-busting member is undoubtedly voiced by Jack Quaid! Quaid is known most recently for his work on My Adventures With Superman, The Boys, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and has recently joined the voice cast for the upcoming season of Invincible, to name a few. As the scene continues to unfold, "The Conductor" grows to a massive size in an attempt to kidnap a buster for their master, the “Nightwalker,” as ghost trains barrel through the terminal.
Via What's On Netflix, we also have a description of some of the other new ghost-trapping team members, who will be taking up residence in the old firehouse:
-Zoe: Described by Kalan as “our adorable kid who’s also a real wise-ass, really gets on my nerves.”
-Travis: “A charming, petty criminal who needs to be charismatic and cool, but also kind of a loser.” Jack Quaid is the voice artist here!
-Mike: “Our engineer and tech wizard, he needs to be a scientific genius who also exudes warmth and emotional inner strength.”
-Mitzi: “A badass riot girl who jumps headfirst into action, but is also extremely protective of her sister, Zephyr.”
-Belladonna: A goth character that was also listed in the article without a detailed description.
Taking on the task of bringing the latest Ghostbusters animated adventure to life is Flying Bark Studios, responsible just this past year with animating Stranger Things: Tales From 85, and before that the acclaimed Marvel What If? series along with an otherwise extensive catalog of incredible and spirited animated films and series. Not surprising, as the creative team behind "Tales From 85" noted looking to classics such as The Real Ghostbusters when sculpting the flow of their latest crawl into the Upside Down. This was the studio the team was adamant in trusting with the “tactile visual language” they were seeking for "Night Shift". Their signature style on full display as the characters seen for the new series are described as having, "a slightly sculptural feel, with pushed, extremely readable characterizations."
Just last year, Flying Bark Studios took to social media to expressed that they were, "honored to be continuing to develop the Ghostbusters series for Sony and Netflix." With Netflix's Dominique Bazay describing it as, "Ghostbusters like you've never seen it!"
The presentation wasn't all zappin' and trappin'. As the team continued to showcase images from the new series, it was hinted that we'd be revisiting another pivotal Ghostbusters location, Ray's Occult Bookshop. As it was announced that Dan Aykroyd will be acting as an executive producer on the "Night Shift" series, we can only hope this means he'll also be providing some voice work!
As we continue to connect some dots, this could also reflect some of the actions we've seen Ray Stantz take in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. While being benched, Stantz is not above taking things into his own hands as he takes Pheobe and Podcast out on a mini investigation to the New York Public Library, ending in a fantastic and phantasmal supernatural catastrophe. Similarly, we find ourselves in a world where Ghostbusters as a business is on the decline, Egon has vanished into the night with not only the Ecto-1 but a significant amount of the Ghostbusters gear! Ray could very well be the one guiding the new, younger ghost-busting team, as well as helping them hobble together what they can from proton packs and other gear and pieces left behind. Despite the fact that it may be some time before we get to see the first footage of a new team of busters containing some ghosts, the one thing that absolutely can not be contained is our excitement! We at Report All Ghosts are all in on the world and characters that are being crafted and built up for Ghostbusters: Night Shift and will be there to answer the call when the first episode haunts Netflix next year! Be sure to keep your PKE meters pointed here for more updates!
Are you excited for a new animated Ghostbusters adventure?
Ghostbusters: Night Shift is being developed by Netflix and Flying Bark Studio who recently released the Stranger Things: Tales From 85 series, as well as with Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, and show runner Elliot Kalan.
Shout out to collaborator Chad Paulson of Ghostbusters.net as well as Michigan Ghostbusters Derek Brown for the heads up. Sources: The Wrap, What's On Netflix, Ghostbusters World Hub #ghostbusters #ghostbustersnightshift #firstlook #slimer #staypuft #ecto1 #80smovies #RetroVibes #spookyvibes #netflix #annecyfestival #jackquaid #danaykroyd #billmurray #erniehudson #PaulRudd #finnwolfhard #mckennagrace #CarrieCoon #ghost #slime #trending #ghostcorps #whoyagonnacall #reportallghosts
