Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Ernie Hudson Talk Reuniting for Ghostbusters: Afterlife: It Was 'The Right Time'

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson are reprising their original Ghostbusters roles in the latest film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Jimmy Fallon got the Ghostbusters crew back together again.

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday ahead of the latest Ghostbusters film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

During their appearance on the late-night show, the three actors explained why they returned to Ghostbusters nearly four decades after the original 1984 film first premiered.

"[Director] Jason Reitman wrote a great script, so full of heart, going right back to the first two movies and its DNA," Aykroyd, 69, told Fallon, 47. He added, "We just read it and thought, 'This is the right time and this is the right way to do it."

Murray, Aykroyd and Hudson, 75, reprise their roles in Ghostbusters: Afterlife as Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond Stantz and Dr. Winston Zeddmore, respectively.

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 1551 -- Pictured: (l-r) Actors Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray during an interview on Monday, November 15, 2021 --
Noam Galai/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Murray, 71, explained that Reitman had a special connection to the supernatural franchise because of his father, who helped create the first film.

"Jason is the son of the original director, Ivan Reitman," Murray said. "He had his own take on — because he grew up as a child of the Ghostbusters, sort of in a way. He had something he thought would work as a good story and we all agreed that he got it."

Murray joked that Jason was "a pain in the a--" as a child on set, while Aykroyd quipped, "He was directing back then."

Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson Ghostbusters - 1984
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While Murray and Aykroyd already knew each other when production on Ghostbusters began, Hudson was new to the group. He told Fallon, "I'm always looking for a job, so I was happy to be working," before adding, "They were always very welcoming."

Murray, Aykroyd and Hudson are returning to Ghostbusters five years after the three actors appeared in the 2016 reboot directed by Paul Feig, which starred an all-female lead cast. The latest movie follows Callie (Carrie Coon), a "financially strapped" mom who moves to Oklahoma with her two children, Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), per the film's official description.

There, the family takes over an old farmhouse, which Callie's late dad left behind for her. While Afterlife doesn't share who Callie's father is, the film hints that Callie is the daughter of Dr. Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis).

Ghostbusters: Afterlife premieres in theaters on Nov. 19.

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