Audiences might know him best as the voice of Disney’s adorable snowman Olaf in the Frozen franchise, but Josh Gad is about to play a very different character in the incoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, one who prefers terrorizing the living over receiving warm hugs. The much-anticipated legacy sequel to the original GB films hits cinemas this weekend, and ahead of its arrival, we’ve learned the exciting news of Gad’s casting.
While speaking with IGN, Jason — son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan — Reitman revealed that Gad provides the vocals for new ghost Muncher in Afterlife. Muncher has been a major fixture of the marketing and is clearly being pitched as the new Slimer, with the iconic ghoul being rested for this entry in the series. Reitman explained that Gad ended up being involved because he happened to be in the right place at the right time.
“Josh and I ran into each other on the Sony lot, and I was like ‘Hey, do you want to come voice this ghost?’ He was like ‘yes,’ and he literally just walked in the room,” Reitman said. “We were literally in a room at the time, he walked right in, he started doing sounds, and that is where the sound of Muncher came from.”
Slimer might not be in the movie, but pretty much everyone else is. As the last trailer confirmed, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson are reprising their roles as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore, with Annie Potts also back as Janine and Sigourney Weaver cameoing as Dana.
The real focus of the film, though, is on McKenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard’s characters, the grandkids of Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis). The plot sees Phoebe and Trevor having to move to the grandfather’s decaying farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, leading them to uncover the unlikely legacy of their family. Paul Rudd co-stars as Mr. Groober, the kids’ science teacher.
Reviews have been mostly positive, so everything looks set for this to be the true Ghostbusters 3 that fans have been waiting decades for. Don’t miss Ghostbusters: Afterlife in theaters from this Friday, November 19.
