The new Ghostbusters is said to take place in an alternate universe from the original 1984 classic. And none of the original Ghostbusters characters exist in this new plane of existence. But the legendary cast will be back for cameos, playing different characters this time around. One actor who isn't returning is Harold Ramis, who passed away in 2014 before the reboot started production. Now, it seems his character Dr. Egon Spengler may actually exist in this new reimagined world after all. At least Egon exists in the eyes of the Sony Coporation.
Sony has released a new tie-in video, which claims the company is putting the exciting new Proton Packs on the market for average citizens to purchase. In this unique sales pitch video, the announcer makes the startling claim that both Dr. Jillian Holtzmann, the character played by Kate McKinnon in the reboot, and Dr. Egon Spengler helped create the proton pack together. Here's the spiel as laid out in this faux commercial.
"Sony Corporation announced today that after thirty years of research and collaboration with Dr. Jillian Holtzmann and Dr. Egon Spengler, it has successfully developed the proton pack, designed to capture content from a parallel dimension. The Proton Pack is equipped with a state-of-the-art, miniaturized superconducting synchrotron, which accelerates injected protons from a hydrogen plasma cell. Superconducting temperatures are maintained by a liquid helium reservoir, and an active cryocooler ensures that operational time vastly exceeds that available from a cryogen dewar alone. Adaptive beam-steering technology guides the proton beam to an ergonomic wand, which doubles as a beam-halo tuning cavity to provide maximum down-range accuracy. The backpack form factor allows built-in psychokinetic grounding to the user's spinal column, eliminating spectral noise feedback loops. The proton pack benefits from Sony Corporations acclaimed products. Weighing only 6.66 kilograms, the device is both water and slime resistant."
This is kind of cool and also very confusing on some levels. While having Dr. Egon Spengler still exist in the Ghostbusters reboot's alternate timeline is a great way to honor Harold Ramis' legacy, it also doesn't make sense that the rest of his Ghostbusting pals have been wiped from existence. It isn't known at this time if Spengler will be mentioned in the movie itself, or if this is just a fun shout-out. Either way, it is bound to seriously confuse and confound hardcore fans who are already upset about the all-female cast.
Perhaps this new Ghostbusters isn't abandoning the idea of the original scientists from the 1984 classic. The first official trailer does begin with a nod to their work, and the time they saved New York from a serious spectral invasion. Have we been lied to all along? Will the original Ghostbusters show back up to help the ladies save the day? Advanced reviews of the film do not mention this happening, and we've been told since day one that this is a complete reboot that abolishes all that has come before it. Who knows what is going on here?
Most likely, Sony is just having fun at fans' expense. But that doesn't sound like it will help the studio's cause. Some speculate that this could be a huge misfire for Sony, and has the potential to be one of this summer's biggest bombs. However it turns out, it can't be as bad as Ghostbusters 2. However this shakes out, check out this unique proton pack video, which hints that Dr. Egon Spengler's legacy lives on! To learn more about the new proton packs, you can click HERE. Enjoy. Or scream in anger. Your pick.