Bill Murray says Ghostbusters: Afterlife is 'gonna work'

Bill Murray says fans are going to love Ghostbusters: Afterlife because the "script is good" and has "lots of emotion in it".

The 69-year-old actor is reprising his role as Dr. Peter Venkman in the film - which is a direct sequel to the original 1984 Ghostbusters movie and 1989's Ghostbusters II - and he agreed to come back to the supernatural comedy franchise after being impressed with the story written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, he said: "The script is good. It's got lots of emotion in it. It's got lots of family in it, with through lines that are really interesting. It's gonna work."

Jason - whose father Ivan Reitman helmed the first two movies - also persuaded Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts to reprise their roles as Dr. Raymond 'Ray' Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Dana Barrett, and Janine Melnitz respectively.

One part of the anti-spook squad not returning is Ghostbusters co-creator Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler as the actor passed away in 2014 at the age of 69.

Murray insists it is the loss of Spengler that drives the entire plot of the third film - which will be released in July 2020 - and the movie is a fitting tribute to his late co-star.

The star said: "Well, we are a man down. That's the deal. And that's the story that we're telling, that's the story they've written."

Jason, 42, admits he made Ghostbusters: Afterlife as a tribute to his dad Ivan, 73, because of the joy they shared together as father and son from his two movies.

He said: "If I think about who I'm making this movie for, it's my father. We all know what it's like to be told stories by our parents. I'm really honoured to get a chance to tell one back to him from the world he brought to life."