Comic cast in new blockbuster

James Acaster has joined the cast of the new Ghostbusters film.

The stand-up will appear alongside fellow comics  Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt, as well as Gossip Girl actress Emily Alyn Lind.

It is not known what role Acaster or the others will play in the film, which is a sequel to  2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and is being directed by Gil Kenan.

However trade website Deadline reports that the as-yet untitled movie will be set in the New York City firehouse where the original films were based.

It is a major career boost for Acaster, who previously starred as a footman in the 2021 Amazon version of Cinderella alongside James Corden and Romesh Ranganathan. His previous acting experience was a small role in Josh Widdicombe’s BBC Three sitcom.

Acaster is also appearing the forthcoming British comedy film Seize Them! which is set in the Dark Ages. He plays Felix The Ironmonger in a cast headlined by Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan and Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood and also including Jessica Hynes  Nick Frost, Lolly Adefope and Ben Ashenden.

Acaster is also known to US audiences from his four Netflix stand-up specials under the title Repertoire.

Also starring in the new Ghostbusters film are Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon, reprising their roles from Afterlife, which took more than $200 million at the global box office,

Jason Reitman, who directed the 2021 film, will be a writer-producer on the next one, alongside Kenan and Jason Blumenfeld.

It is scheduled for release in December this year.

Published: 24 Mar 2023