‘Too Hot To Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II’: Long-In-Works Documentary Wraps & Appoints Sales Company

EXCLUSIVE: A Ghostbusters update on Ghostbusters Day: making-of documentary Too Hot To Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II has wrapped after an eight-year production journey.

The sequel to doc Cleanin’ Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) features interviews with Dan Aykroyd, the late Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, the late director and producer Ivan Reitman, and ILM’s Dennis Muren.

The movie will include a score from film and TV vet Randy Edelman who scored Ghostbusters II. Edelman is bringing his live music show to the UK this month and it will include extracts of the score.

UK filmmakers Anthony and Claire Bueno are behind the documentary, whose production was delayed by the pandemic and health complications. The aim is to officially launch the film at a festival and/or market this fall.

Laurence Gornall’s Unannounced Film Company has boarded world rights. Unannounced previously handled Cleanin’ Up The Town, which performed well on the Amazon special interest video chart in 2020 and the U.S. iTunes chart in 2021.

Set five years after the events of the first film, in Ghostbusters II the group has been sued and put out of business after the destruction caused during their battle with the deity Gozer the Gozerian. When a new paranormal threat emerges, the Ghostbusters reunite to combat it and save the world.

It was a bumpy journey to screen with it taking time to for the studio, creatives and cast to get on the same page and then production reportedly rushed and large sections of the film scrapped after poorly received test screenings. Re-shoots took place just months before release.

Despite getting some negative reviews, the movie did make $215M global off its $30-40M budget. In today’s terms that might seem a hit, but Sony seemingly weren’t thrilled at the time and the franchise lay dormant until it was rebooted for the big screen in recent years. Also, a new animated TV series is due out next year.

Director Anthony Bueno said of his doc: “It’s been an honour and a privilege to capture these interviews and finally be able to present them all to the world. I’m incredibly proud of the work that we have all put into these documentaries. It hasn’t always been an easy journey but with the skills and talents of all involved, we can finally show Too Hot To Handle to the fans of the Ghostbusters films and filmmaking alike”.

Randy Edelman commented: “As it comes closer to having audiences view the wonderful new documentary Too Hot To Handle, I find that the music for the score reflects more than just going over the broad plot points of this look back to the gloriously and unique sequel to such a loved film property. As I had written the score to Ghostbusters II film, I valued the aspects of so many who contributed so much in terms of character and story.”

He continued: “I believe all those who will view this film will appreciate it and its subject matter in a welcoming, graceful way. And those who were part of it originally who aren’t fortunate enough be on this earth to see it, they would be incredibly proud of the diligence, thoughtfulness, and power of these two – a team of a sister and brother from England – who against the odds of traditional Hollywood brought this doc to the screen. I was around for both so I feel qualified to make this commentary. Cheers to Anthony and Claire Bueno on completing their own marathon and crossing finish line.”