Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard and Ernie Hudson on new film in franchise

Published

12 months ago

March 22, 2024

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Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard reprise their roles as a family and team of ghost catchers in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – this time in the location of the original films, New York City.

The latest addition to the movie franchise sees the original and new generation team up to protect their home from a second Ice Age.

Here are the key things you need to know about the fourth outing of everyone’s favourite 80s ghost hunters.

Ecto-1 or Millennium Falcon?

There wouldn’t be a Ghostbusters film without the iconic Ecto-1.

In the first reboot, Afterlife, the car was found by Wolfhard’s character on the grounds of his late grandfather Elon Spengler’s farm.

With the help of Spengler’s ghost, they repaired it and in Frozen Empire, it returns to the streets of New York.

“I actually got to drive it, it was really unreal,” says Rudd, admitting it was a “tricky” vehicle to manoeuvre.

“It’s almost like you’re driving the [Star Wars spacecraft] Millennium Falcon.”

The Marvel star says that despite this being his second film in the franchise, the excitement never goes away.

The production used two versions of the car for Frozen Empire – remaking one with a Corvette engine for the high-speed shots.

Wolfhard says it was “insanely powerful”, but would constantly overheat and choke as they began to film a scene.

Ghostbusters cast’s friendships

Filming for the new movie took three months, and Rudd says the majority of downtime for the cast was spent together “without mobile phones”.

The Proton packs were so heavy that the crew installed pieces of wood for the cast to rest them on between takes and it gave them the perfect opportunity to get to know each other.

He says he would constantly ask for stories from the originals about the first film.

He has one stand-out memory of Ernie Hudson… his choice of treat.

“Ernie would always have those Tootsie Pops he loved – he had a real sweet tooth,” explains Rudd.

Hudson thinks it’s hilarious that that’s what Rudd remembers of him and adds it was simply to “fight the hunger urge”.

Ghostbusters and Finn Wolfhard’s directorial feature debut

In between filming for Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire, Wolfhard made his directorial feature debut with Hell of a Summer.

The comedy-horror premiered at the Toronto film festival in September last year.

His co-director Billy Bryk also featured in the first reboot as Zahk and the duo began writing the script during its production.

“I’m so in my head now”, says Wolfhard who thinks that going behind the camera has given him some new advantages and disadvantages when it comes to acting.

“I’ll see a scene in my head, I’ll think about what I look like in the future on screen and go, ‘God, you’re such an idiot right now’.”

Jumping into the conversation, Rudd reassures his co-star, calling Wolfhard a “terrific actor and a great director,” but insists that the insecurity around filming never goes away.

‘It crosses a generation’

The first Ghostbusters film was released in 1984 and starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.

Eddie Murphy was originally intended for the role of Winston Zeddemore but he turned it down to do Beverly Hills Cop.

The role instead went to Hudson who says people still come up to him on the street quoting his character.

Hudson tells Sky News: “In the first Ghostbusters, because the part had been cut down from what the original part was, the guys all sort of came together and gave me a lot of the really good lines.”

The most common quotes he receives are: “It’s a big Twinkie”; “If there’s a steady pay check” and “If someone asks if you’re a God, you say yes.”

The 87-year-old actor says the franchise has always had its fans at the centre – something he believes is responsible for its continued success.

“It crosses a generation and the wonderful thing about Ghostbusters for me is you see a lot of sort of remakes or reboots or sequels, but a lot of times you get the feeling that it’s something the studio wants and not necessarily the fans, you know? But, this is one that I feel like the fans are asking for”.

The American actor says he was delighted to rejoin the cast and crew for Frozen Empire.

The new Ghostbusters’ film is just under two hours long.

And it does have an after-credits scene which suggests this might not be the last we see of the franchise.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is in cinemas now.

Entertainment

Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

Published

2 hours ago

March 6, 2025

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The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.

Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.

The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.

Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.

The announcement comes after Sir Rod Stewart was booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot and Young was confirmed as a headliner earlier this year.

Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.

The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.

The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.

The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.

Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.

Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.

The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

Entertainment

Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Published

18 hours ago

March 5, 2025

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.

US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.

The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.

She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.

Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.

But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.

Ofcom said some of the complaints were also aimed at British pop sensation Charli XCX, who dominated the night by winning five awards, including album of the year.

Some viewers took issue with her outfit – a black see-through dress.

The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”

Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”

Entertainment

Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

Published

22 hours ago

March 5, 2025

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Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.

They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.

Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

What will the trial cover?

Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.

It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.

Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.

He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.

“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.

It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.

“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”

The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.

The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.

His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.

The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.

What has happened since the articles were published?

A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.

However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.

His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.

ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.

The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.

Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.

He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.

‘Rising star’

Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.

Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.

He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.

It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.