VFX artists have nothing but praise for the most controversial part of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Rather than a reboot, the 2021 movie is a follow-up to the original Ghostbusters franchise. In a bid to respect what came before it, Afterlife invited all four of the original Ghostbusters back to continue their stories. The actors spent their time welcoming in the next generation of Ghostbusters. Even the late Harold Ramis reprised his role as Egon, despite passing before filming began.
Many Ghostbuster: Afterlife reviews feel the need to acknowledge Ramis’ ghostly cameo, given just how much of the movie revolves around his character. One skilled VFX team, the Corridor Crew on YouTube, focused entirely on Ramis’ appearance. The team endlessly praised the techniques behind the cameo. Check out their reaction below:
The team had nothing but respect for the VFX work that went into Egon’s appearance. It argued that “A very talented team of animators went through and painstakingly made sure that he was giving off the right vibe” and “That’s some of the best people replacement I’ve ever seen.”
Harold Ramis’s Controversial Ghostbusters Return
Because Harold Ramis had already passed before Ghostbusters: Afterlife could be filmed, bringing him into the movie would always be a challenge. Afterlife is meant to be a tribute to the original, and the other three original Ghostbusters were making their return, which meant that it was only natural to bring Ramis in. With the help of CGI and the clever use of body doubles, Ramis’ Egon was able to appear for a few brief cameos.
While it may have been technically impressive, Ramis joining the Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast after his tragic death was certainly controversial. Because the actor could not star in the movie himself, his appearance was done without his express consent and work. Instead, Afterlife drew the same controversy that other posthumous appearances do, including Peter Cushing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Christopher Reeve in The Flash.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Egon Replacement Means 1 OG Character Must Still Come Back
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has named a replacement member for Egon, which means one original character is the only one left to not suit up.
Ramis’ appearance was somewhat different to those cameos, as the entire movie is built as a tribute to his legacy. Still, the ethics of appearances after death remains a shaky moral proposition. Egon never speaks in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which takes away some of the tension. Still, his presence is still more than enough to raise controversy from anyone uncomfortable with posthumous artificial cameos.
