James Acaster has been named among the cast of Sony Pictures’ forthcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel.
The comedian’s name was trending on Twitter on Friday (24 March) as fans reacted to the surprising casting news.
Acaster will join returning cast members Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, as well as new faces Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt, Deadline reported.
Jason Reitman, who directed the 2021 reboot, will move into the writer-producer role, while Gil Kenan (A Boy Called Christmas) will take over directing duties.
According to Deadline’s sources, the sequel will return to New York City and the iconic firehouse from the original Ghostbuster films after Afterlife’s Summerville, Oklahoma setting.
Fans of the Off Menu podcast host rejoiced in the news on social media. “James Acaster blossoming acting career starts now,” one wrote on Twitter.
“James Acaster in ghostbusters???? that's ace,” tweeted another.
“James Acaster being in Ghostbusters is so random but I will be seated,” another fan declared.
It’s not quite the comedian’s first screen credit; Acaster voiced John the Mouse in Disney’s 2021 live-action Cinderella remake starring Camila Cabello.
Acaster was recently forced to deny rumours that he would be replacing Matt Lucas as the new host of The Great British Bake Off.
That honour has since gone to Alison Hammond, Channel 4 announced.
The 2021 Ghostbusters revival, which saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver reprise their roles, was a hit with audiences if not with critics, earning over $200m at the box office despite a release amid pandemic delays.
In her two-star review of Afterlife for The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey called the movie “a manipulative and ethically dubious nostalgia trip”.
The as-yet-unnamed sequel is slated for a December 2023 release.
