Watch: First trailer for anticipated sequel 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' set in Oklahoma, features lots of callbacks and Tulsa native Tracy Letts

The first trailer for the eagerly anticipated sequel "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" premiered this morning, and it's a doozy for fans of the original 1984 movie and of Oklahoma getting to be in the middle of awesome stuff.

As previously reported, the initial synopsis, teaser poster and Vanity Fair exclusive first-look debuted Friday, revealing that the sequel will be set in a fictional small Oklahoma town where a single mom and her two children move after inheriting property from the father and grandfather they never knew.

Emmy-nominated actor Carrie Coon, known for her roles in TV's "Fargo" and "The Leftovers" and in the movies "Gone Girl" and "Avengers: Infinity War" stars as the mom, Callie, and she has her own Oklahoma connection: She's married to Tulsa native Tracy Letts, who co-stars in the movies "Ford v. Ferrari," "Ladybird" and the upcoming "Little Women" when he's not penning plays like the Pulitzer Prize winner "August: Osage County." Letts appears in the trailer wielding a shovel against mysterious tremors rocking the town.

"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" also stars Mckenna Grace ("I, Tonya," "Gifted") as Callie's science-loving daughter Phoebe, and Finn Wolfhard ("Stranger Things," "It") as her gearhead son Trevor.

The new trailer shows Trevor's discovery in the ancient barn of the vintage ambulance the original Ghostbusters converted into their tricked-out ride, with the "ECTO-1" license plate still on it, his work to restore it and his delight at realizing it has a pop-out gunner seat.

Meanwhile, Phoebe shares finds a ghost trap, PKE meter and other strange technology, which she shares with her enthusiastic summer school teacher, Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), who in turn gives her the 411 on "the Manhattan Crossrip of 1984,” the official name of the New York near-apocalypse in the original film that called on the first Ghostbusters to fight back against an ancient Sumerian god named Gozer and the enormous and deadly marshmallow man the deity summoned to destroy the Big Apple.

And there's lots of callbacks, obvious and subtle, to the classic first film crammed into this 2 1/2-minute preview, including a memorable Bill Murray monologue from the original movie, a collection of spores, molds and fungus and an old sign for Shandor Mining Co. framing an abandoned mine that seems to be the source of some strange goings-on. (In the 1984 story, Shandor was the name of the crazy architect who designed the weird NYC building that became the summoning point for Gozer.)

As previously reported, Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air," "Juno") takes over filmmaking duties from his own father, Ivan Reitman, who directed the original 1984 "Ghostbusters," along with 1989's "Ghostbusters II." The elder Reitman returns for "Afterlife" as a producer, while Jason Reitman directs and penned the script with "Monster House" and "City of Ember" filmmaker Gil Kenan.

Most of the original cast have committed to returning as their beloved characters, although it’s not clear exactly what their part will be in the new story. The exceptions are Harold Ramis, who played Dr. Egon Spengler, died in 2014, and Rick Moranis, who played wannabe Ghostbuster Louis Tully but has limited his screen appearances in recent years.

Judging from the name tag on the jumpsuit Phoebe discovers and the aforementioned fungi collection, it looks like the writers are likely working around Ramis' death by making him the family's father and grandfather.

Original "Ghostbusters" star and co-writer Dan Aykroyd is listed as an executive producer of the upcoming sequel, along with Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld and Michael Beugg.

Although it wasn't filmed in Oklahoma - it was primarily lensed in Canada, according to IMDB- this first trailer only has me more eager to see what kind of otherworldly adventures "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" brings to the Sooner State.

"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" will be released in theaters July 10, 2020.

-BAM

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