2016 'Ghostbusters' Reboot Trailer Released; Is The Movie Racist? Leslie Jones Responds

Mar 05, 2016 01:50 PM EST


"We have dedicated our whole lives to studying the paranormal. Now there's sightings all over the city. There are people out there who need our help," Melissa McCarthy voices on the new trailer for the new Ghostbusters reboot.

"Thirty years ago, four scientists saved New York," flashes on the black as the Ghostbusters melody plays hauntingly on the piano. "This summer a new team will answer the call."

The trailer has comical moments, including McCarthy's character, Abby Yates, getting "possessed" by a paranormal character. Her head spins around Exorcist-style, and gets it slapped right out of her by Leslie Jones, who plays Patty Tolan.

This new trailer premiered on Thursday during The Ellen Degeneres Show. Director Paul Feig told Ellen that he enjoyed working with the cast, which includes Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. "When I was putting this together, I just said, 'I have lists of people who make me laugh. And I have one list of the people that make me cry,' and so I thought, I'm doing 'Ghostbusters,' I gotta pull out the heavy guns," Feig told Ellen. "And so these four women are just so funny and it's really an honor."

In October 2014, Ellen had talked with Melissa McCarthy and Lena Dunham about the third Ghostbusters film, and had suggested the three of them should be in it. She tried to get Melissa to confess that she was already in it, but Melissa denied it several times.

Bill Murray, who starred in the first two movies had made suggestions of casting for the sequel, too. "Melissa [McCarthy] would be a spectacular Ghostbuster," he said. "And Kristen Wiig is so funny...I like this girl Linda Cardellini a lot. And Emma Stone is funny. There are some funny girls out there." Looks like he was right about two of them.

We'll also get to see the original Ghostbusters' cast, including Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Akroyd, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson, according to imdb.com 

Some have criticized the reboot, calling it racist, because "the token black member of the group is a street wise subway employee," according to Twitter user Mike stride 

Leslie Jones defended her character portrayal on Twitter , saying "Regular People save the world everyday so if I'm the stereotype!! Then so be it!! We walk among Heroes and take them for granted. IT'S NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! ITS A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!! AND AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WE ALL GHOSTBUSTERS!! STAND TALL!!" and "You haven't seen the movie yet you don't know wtf my char is. you by a trailer. omg are y'all that arrogant. So is MTA worker trash?"

I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts, are you? Ghostbusters will be flying to theaters on July 15, 2016.