LOS ANGELES — Things get very slimy, very fast in the new Ghostbusters.
The first full scene of the Ghostbusters trailer, which dropped online Thursday, even has a gnarly apparition throwing-up green ectocplasm all over Kristen Wiig's scientist character.
"We went right for the slime, and not just a little slime," director Paul Feig tells USA TODAY. "It's called ecto-projecting."
This green-filled start was important for the all-woman Ghostbusters reboot which stars Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones (due out July 15). It pays tribute to the famous New York Public Library ghost scene from the original 1984 Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.
But obviously, this Ghostbusters is entirely different.
"We wanted to plant a flag early. People don't know what this movie is," says Feig. "It's a whole different team. But it's kind of fun leading off with something iconic from the original."
Feig, along with screenwriter Kate Dippold, and producer Ivan Reitman (who directed the 1984 original), unveiled the first Ghostbusters trailer Wednesday to superfans on the Sony Pictures lot. Here's a rundown of what we learned:
Slimer returns: The hungry green ghost from the original makes a brief appearance in the trailer and features in the new film. Feig said he struggled with the idea of including the beloved Slimer. After seeing what an updated version looked like, he went for it.
"Originally I was kind of like 'No Way,' says Feig. "But after seeing it, you think, Slimer is the one thing from the original that people are obsessed about."
The Ectomobile revamp: The new Ghostbusters Ectomobile is explained — a passed-along 1980s Cadillac hearse. Revamped, it's great for holding ghost-busting equipment in a way that screams low-rent. And there's one really big, yellow siren.
"I was like, 'What's a cool looking car?' And I just loved those 80s Cadillacs," says Feig. "I like that it was different than the rounded look of the original. It's a fun look."
It's a complete reboot: The new tale features New York City as a world that has never been overrun with paranormal activity.
So 1984's Ghostbusters and 1989's Ghostbusters II never happened.
It allows the underdog characters to struggle in a world where people are highly skeptical of ghosts.
"We wanted to imagine what it would be like to be a Ghostbuster and no one takes you seriously," says Dippold. "And to have that moment of people seeing for the first time that, 'Wait ghosts are real and they are attacking us!' "
No cameo reveals: While Murray, Aykroyd and Hudson all appear in new film, they are not in the trailer. Feig is keeping their roles and other cameos as much a surprise as possible. We do catch a glimpse of Chris Hemsworth, who plays the Ghostbusters receptionist.
Serious hardware: The new Ghostbusters not only have proton pack energy weapons, but McKinnon's nuclear physicist keeps improving on them. There's even a lethal single-hand number revealed.
"I wanted to give a nod to the new hardware and the (total badness) of these women," says Feig. "We know there's going to be comedy and this story. But having these clips with weapons coming out and fighting, that's the thing people are going to be excited about."
