GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE?
WILL GOZER RETURN IN
By Andrew Halley
Hints towards the shapeshifting god of destruction abound in the promotions for Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Gozer was a demonic entity arriving near the climax of the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters.
While briefly appearing as a beautiful woman, Gozer soon manifested into the most terrifying of all forms… the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
It seemed our band of busters were able to defeat the threat and banish it back through the dimensional gate from whence it came… but that might not have been the end of it.
In a trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the iconic Stay Puft Marshmallow man returns, this time bite sized.
Could this mean Gozer has returned in the last form it took? Not by itself. But there’s more...
Through some exposition in the original film, it is revealed the apartment complex at the apex of spiritual activity was built by Shandor, a cult leader who worshipped Gozer.
While the cult’s plans to summon Gozer were foiled, it’s unlikely the apartment was the only construction project by Shandor.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife takes place primarily on an Oklahoma farm, built “with a purpose.” It’s no coincidence the farm is nearby an old mine… of Shandor’s.
It is quite possible that Shandor conducted a separate operation, perhaps as a failsafe in case something happened to the apartment.
The Terror dogs, servants of Gozer, also briefly make an appearance in the trailer if you look carefully.
While the original Ghostbusters may be retired, a new generation must rise up and face what is almost certainly… Gozer.