In anticipation of this summer”s debut of the new Ghostbusters film, Sony is releasing the original Ghostbusters and the 1989 sequel in a shiny new release on home video. It”s exciting news for Ghostbusters fans who salivate over bonus featurettes and high-quality picture. But there”s a problem.
The problem: There”s a Ghostbuster missing from the Blu-ray”s cover.
Neither Ernie Hudson”s name nor his picture is on the cover for this new release of the 1984 film.
Oh, wait, there he is! Down at the bottom… with the Ghostbusters logo covering up his head.
Really?
You”d think Sony would take this opportunity to right a wrong – Winston Zeddemore”s been the marginalized Ghostbuster more than once in the past – but nope, Hudson still didn”t make the cover.
Hudson is also nowhere to be seen on the original poster for the film. His name”s not even listed among all the credits on the poster.
Known also for HBO”s Oz and The Crow, Hudson has spoken in the past about how shocked and disappointed he was to see his character brushed aside. Winston enters the story at page 68, instead of page 8, as he did when the actor first saw the script and signed on for the movie. Here”s what he wrote for Entertainment Weekly in 2015, following Ghostbusters” 30th anniversary:
“Winston wasn”t included in the movie poster or the trailer and all that stuff. I felt, had the original character been in play at the beginning, that would”ve been different because it would”ve clearly been four guys. It would”ve sent a signal to the studios and very likely impacted my career in a different way. I think the fans see the Ghostbusters as four characters.”
At least we can look forward to seeing Hudson in the upcoming Ghostbusters movie. He has a cameo in the film. It”s unlikely he”ll play Winston the Ghostbuster, though, as director Paul Feig has emphasized how he wanted the new team in the story to be their own pioneering creators of proton packs and other Slimer-busting tech, instead of taking up the mantle of a previous team.
As for the details on that new high-def and extras-packed Ghostbusters – per USA Today, it”s a pack for each movie containing a 4K Ultra HD disc, and a Blu-ray disc that includes previously released bonus material commentaries, and interactive modes. The 4K+Blu-ray pack will be available June 7.