Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard and Ernie Hudson on new film in franchise
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.
Souped up Cadillac – Ecto-1. Pic. Columbia Pictures
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.
(L-R) Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon. Pic: Columbia Pictures
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.
Star of the show – Slimer. Pic. Columbia Pictures
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.
Pic. Columbia Pictures
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.
(L-R) Celeste O’Connor, Finn Wolfhard, James Acaster, Logan Kim and Dan Aykroyd. Pic. Columbia Pictures
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’.”
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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.
Pic. Columbia Pictures
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.”
Director Gil Kenan, centre. Pic. Columbia Pictures
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 Firehouse. Pic. Columbia Pictures
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.
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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