Word has been circulating around the ‘Net for a while, but now it’s confirmed that Columbia will be re-releasing Ghostbusters on October 13, redone in 2K digital and 5.1 surround sound.
So yes, Ghostbusters will be returning to 500 theaters, and playing one night a week on Thursdays – oddly enough.
This is not only bringing hope to the major studios who are reviewing their back catalogs with the recent success of the Lion King re-release, but it could also encourage Bill Murray to reprise his role in Ghostbusters 3.
As for the odd release pattern, William Bibbiani on Craveonline writes, “What we didn’t know at the time was whether this was a proper re-release, or a ‘one night only’ special event. Turns out that it’s kind of both.”
Ghostbusters will indeed be shown only on Thursdays, one show a day starting October 13, continuing to the 20th and the 27th.
Crave also writes, “Booking the film at select showings just one day a week – a weekday, at that – will prevent the film from getting the way of other, newer cash cows that actually need a bigger box office take.”
Not to mention, as Crave reminds us, “Ghostbusters is still one of the most successful movies of all time, outgrossing Terminator 2 and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and that’s before you adjust for inflation.”
Whether it will continue to roll in the big bucks, we’ll find out soon enough. There’s definitely plenty of geek love for Ghostbusters out there, and hopefully a new generation of fans will want to come out and see what all the hubbub’s about.
As an official press release from Sony tells us, “Get ready for mass hysteria!, and as Rory Bruer, President of World Wide Distribution for Sony, states: ”We’re delighted to be bringing Ghostbusters back to the big screen – this is a special celebration of the movie, giving the fans a chance to see it on the big screen in perfect digital presentation.”
