Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Trailer #1 (International) Review / Breakdown

January 29, 2024 saw the release of TWO trailers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, one domestic (for the United States) and one for international markets. These trailers are considered to be "Trailer #1", as the November 8th trailer is considered the "Teaser Trailer". I'm going to share my thoughts on this new trailer in a sort-of running commentary form, though I won't go over every single shot. BE FOREWARNED: THERE MAY BE SOME MINOR PLOT SPOILERS IF YOU KEEP READING, as I will take some educated guesses about things based on what little we know so far. It will be interesting to look back on this article after the movie is released to see what I got correct. So, with that out of the way, let's get started.

Ok, so at this point, we know who all of the major cast members are, and which characters they will be playing. The new family is back, which includes Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), Mckenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), Celeste O'Connor (Lucky Domingo), and Logan Kim (Podcast). The original family also returns, and they include Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), and William Atherton (Walter Peck). They are joined by newcomers James Acaster (Lars Pinfield), Patton Oswalt (Dr. Hubert Wartzki), Kumail Nanjiani (Nadeem Razmaadi), and Emily Alyn Lind (unknown).

The plot synopsis, simply put, is that Gary and the Spengler family moved from Summerville to New York City to take up residence in the firehouse. A mysterious artifact is brought into Ray's Occult for examination, and it causes an ancient evil to be unleashed, leaving everyone chilled to the bone. Sounds exciting... The trailer is embedded below, so feel free to watch it before reading on. Also, click on all framegrabs for the original 1920x800 images.


The trailer opens with a skyline shot, followed by Gary, Callie, and Phoebe looking out of the firehouse second floor window at the street below.


What they see is a kid's tricycle pedalling itself across the deserted street. Could it be the invisible ghost of Billy?


Speaking of invisible ghosts - not sleeping in anyone's bed - Pheobe is playing chess with one. Perhaps Egon's ghost, whom Gil Kenan assured would not be appearing in the film. Well, if he's invisible, that wouldn't be a lie.


While this is all being shown, Ray is telling a group that has gathered at his shop...


..."We've all had experiences. Encounters with the unknown and the unexplainable. Here, we pay top dollar for your possessed possessions." A motley crew of New Yorkers are waiting with their "curious goods". Such a shame that Sony doesn't own The Conjuring franchise (it's a Warner Brothers property), as that would have been a great place for an Annabelle doll cameo.


Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) brings in a Golden Orb, which Ray finds to be "very, very interesting". Nadeem says he can have it for $40. When he hears Ray remark that he's "never seen anything like this", Nadeem ups his price to $60.


Ray examines it with a PKE Meter, which causes the glass countertop to freeze and an earthquake to occur.


Up pops the "SONY" and Columbia Pictures 100th Anniversary logos. We then get a beautiful aerial shot of the firehouse surrounded by grey, ominous clouds.


On the roof of said firehouse are Trevor and Lucky, the latter of whom is wearing some stylish Ecto-Goggles and that nifty red parka that everyone is going nuts over.


Meanwhile, Winston is talking to a group of reporters outside the firehouse. Interestingly, it's not Peter who is the "mouth" this time. He tells them that "all over New York City, ghost attacks are on the rise". Walter Peck (with his back to the camera), Podcast, and the others are there, too.


Sure enough, we get a close-up of the Hell's Kitchen Sewer Dragon from the opening Ecto-1 chase scene. Followed by Janine answering the phone with her iconic line, "Ghostbusters, whadda ya want?" Then we see the Ecto-1 pulling out of the firehouse from inside the garage bay.


This leads to more shots from that Sewer Dragon chase scene, including a shot of said dragon exploding out of a manhole...


...the Ecto-1 taking a hard left turn as Phoebe sitting precariously in the gunner seat zapping at the dragon ghost, and finally the Drone Trap Vehicle (for lack of an official name) flying up to trap the skyborne specter.


Winston continues, "...and we are the only ones equipped to fight back." This leads into a shot of "the new Paranormal Research Center", which appears to be in a formerly-abandoned underground subway station of some sort. There is graffiti on the walls, and the structure appears to have had some kind of former life.


We see new character Lars Pinfield (James Acaster) carrying a smoking trap towards screen right.


A shot of mischievous Mini Pufts maiming themselves is shown while Callie ponders, "You just let ghost hang out in here?" I can't tell from the context of the shot(s) if the Mini Pufts are in the research center or Ray's Occult. Maybe Ray took some home with him after his visit to Summerville in 2021. Maybe they multiply if you get them wet, and that's why there are many of them now.


Winston gives the Paranormal Research Center Mission Statement: "We've spent 40 years trapping them, now we can study them." As he tells his guests this, Lars is seen putting that smoking trap in a HUGE Containment Unit with multiple inputs and multiple red and green lights.


Callie and Gary take a look around the research center. They spy a creature in a glass enclosure. That would be Pukey. "He's cute," says Gary.


Then Pukey lives up to his name. Not so cute anymore.


Lars' distinctively British voice intones, "Ever since you brought in this orb, strange things have been occurring. We think it's commanding other spirits." To illustrate this, a chair is seen being thrown against the glass wall of a holding cell, and the wall behind the Containment Unit in the firehouse basement is breaking apart.


Gary is in the basement with Phoebe. He asks, "Is something trying to get out?" She remarks, "Many things."


We then see "many things", including the doors of the firehouse being blown off their hinges, and a lion statue at the New York Public Library coming alive. Ray is there at the library to visit the ghost that was never busted in the original film.


Ray lays it all on the line. "We could be looking at a full-bore army of ghosts with the power to kill by fear itself." The commander of that army would be our new big bad, Garraka. That's the tall horned creature we see re-attaching its horns to its head.


To Ray's statement, Gary replies, "Like, literally scared to death?" Trevor comments, "That's messed up." On screen pops up "THIS YEAR". Callie asks, "So, what is the plan?" Gary tells her, "We're the Ghostbusters. We stay and fight for this place." To that end, we see Trevor, all suited up, sliding down a pole into the firehouse garage bay; while Phoebe is standing there as the Ecto-1 prepares to leave. Ironically, there is a ice machine behind Trevor with the slogan "Don't Forget THE ICE!" on it.


Another shot of the Ecto-1 from the opening chase, then Gary talking to Lucky in the garage bay, telling her to "suit up [and] shoot anything that looks terrifying".


A few quick shots of the equipment, including Winston bucking up his jumpsuit, Janine's new arm-mounted Proton Gun, a Proton Wand, and a Proton Pack with an exposed cyclotron. Trevor firing at Slimer (presumably) in the firehouse third-floor attic. Lars being a dumbass and grabbing the Golden Orb with his bare hands. I thought scientists were supposed to be smart. As for the orb, Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt) states that it "is prophesizing to bring about the end of humankind." Ray calls it "the second ice age".


To illustrate this, we see the storm clouds and ice spikes run rampant in Coney Island, in footage we first saw in the teaser trailer. More repeated footage includes the cabbie looking skyward and getting his hat blown off, and the old-timey fireman touching the old-timey frozen person who shatters into a million pieces of ice upon being touched ever so lightly.


A shot of Phoebe standing next to the pole in the firehouse garage bay (also seen in the teaser) is followed by Lucky firing at Garraka in the research center. Lucky shouts out, "Get away from her." The implication here is that the "her" being referred to is Phoebe. It could also be Emily Alyn Lind's unknown character, whom we have not seen any official photos or footage of so far.


Just like Gozer had the power to uncross the streams in Afterlife, Garraka has the power to freeze the streams in Frozen Empire. That freezing power extends through the streams and into Lucky's body, causing her to become a Lucky-sicle. How many licks?


Garraka's is seen entering the firehouse, with the entire gang standing at the ready; Ecto-1's headlights illuminating them from behind. I can't help but think that this shot is a homage to the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Back in the Saddle, Part 1".


Garraka shows off its ice breath, which is no special feat considering how many other beings have that ability.


Cue the title.


Cue the scene of Trevor finding Slimer inside a pile of junk food wrappings on the floor of the firehouse third-floor attic, which also capped off the domestic trailer.


The trailer ends with "EXCLUSIVELY IN CINEMAS, COMING SOON".


Coupled with the domestic trailer, this film is looking pretty good. I can definitely see The Real Ghostbusters influence, which is a very good thing. For forty years now, the original film has been mistakenly classified as "comedy", simply due to the comedy pedigree of the three main actors. At its heart, it is a horror film, with a touch of science fiction, and a hint of comedy. Frozen Empire looks fun and exciting, scary and a little funny, which is the right tone. I'm looking forward to this.

VIP BONUS FEATURE - The full 120-image set of screenshots.

I'm sure there will be at least one more trailer between now and March 22nd.