The original cast of Ghostbusters reunited on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ahead of the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

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Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson all appeared on the popular chat show to discuss their involvement in the sequel. The trio starred in 1984’s Ghostbusters and its sequel in 1989, alongside the late Harold Ramis who played Egon Spengler.

They also filmed cameo roles in the 2016 all-female reboot, starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon.

On the show, the cast discussed their reasons for returning to the franchise for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which stars Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Carrie Coon.

“Jason Reitman wrote a great script, so full of heart, going right back to the first two movies and its DNA,” Aykroyd said. “We just read it and thought, ‘This is the right time’.

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

Asked what it was like strapping the proton packs on once again, Murray said: “It was a very heavy thing. It’s not as heavy as the original was, but we’re weaker, so it’s about the same.”

Alongside the original trio, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts also reprise their roles from the original film in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Early reviews have largely praised the sequel for rejuvenating the Ghostbusters license with a fresh cast, with some criticism towards its reliance on nostalgia.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is scheduled to release in the UK on November 19, 2021.