Special Story Pitch: "Ghostbusters on the Go" (Inspired by a Reddit Post)

[Philip Gipson]

I've come up with this pitch on the fly when a post made by Comfortable-Ad3588 on the Ghostbusters Reddit page asked about headcanons on potential Ghostbuster divisions. It's a spiritual successor to the Ghostbusters: Afterlife universe in which, after the events of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, former Ghostbusters Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz call upon future Ghostbusters everywhere in the world to take up arms and bust ghosts. It goes like this:

When a drilling operation suddenly causes a squadron of multiple ghosts to be released, the Californian city of Los Angeles, gets beseiged with chaos, calamity, devastation, and despair wherever these ghouls go. This prompts four strangers -- two women and two men -- to take action against the threat to their town by forming an organization dedicated to defending the City of Angels from the supernatural. Despite the troubles they face within and without, the four strangers muster up every ounce of their strength to step up to the plate, to answer the call of duty whenever there's something strange in their neighborhood.

The four main characters in my pitch have their own identities and struggles separate from the original main four Ghostbusters. Here they are in order:

CARLA DAVISON

Aged 29. A brown-haired brunette who hides behind humor to mask the inner turmoil she has within her. She had a bright future ahead of her with her comedic writing style until her parents died of natural causes (a stroke for her father and cancer for her mother), leaving her to find a way to maintain her sanity through the comedy genre that she cares about. When she watches a local commercial on TV about a company called "Ghostbusters" located in New York, New York, she takes it as a sign to do research on the company and their exploits (including their huge battles with Gozer the Gozerian, Vigo the Carpathian, and Garraka). This inspires her to want to make a difference in her hometown by forming her very own Ghostbuster unit.

MARLIE WINTERS

Aged 35. A redhead with a fascination for the human condition, inherited by her from her deceased scientist father. As a child, she always was able to read people -- who they were, why they did what they did, and how they're motivated. This has, however, caused her to be alienated by everyone at school, leading to internal problems at home with her family. As she got older she maintained her gift, but her relationship with her living mother has never wavered. Her discovery of the supernatural inspires her to become a scientist with a path much different than her father's. She meets with Carla Davison, who tells Marlie about New York's Ghostbusters organization and asks her to help out in forming their own team in L.A.

JERRY KANE

Aged 32. A curly, dark blond-haired man with a love for all things pop culture. He genuinely pours his heart and soul into anything that piques his interest aside from pop culture. He does his very best to remain objective in spite of anything life throws at him. He secretly wants to get his uncle and aunt out of debt due to a landlord's selfish actions, which is partly why he does what he does for a living. He eventually meets up with Marlie Winters and Carla Davison, and they ask him to join them in forming a team based upon New York's Ghostbusters. To their delight, he accepts their offer humbly. When he asks what their new team will be called, it's Carla who coins the name "Ghostbusters Central," which he smiles on.

GREG SANDFORD

Aged 30. A Black man with a background in modelling. Understandably a skeptic in superstition, he went about his entire life believing that the supernatural only existed in fiction. In truth, he hides a deep inner trauma regarding a childhood incident involving a so-called haunted house that actually turned out to be a base of operations for three petty criminals. He has the support of his entire family regarding that incident, which he appreciates. Soon enough, what he believes to be fiction will turn into a reality when ghosts run rampant, and he must learn to adjust to that reality when all kinds of ghosts wreak havoc in the city. He's recruited by Carla Davison, Marlie Winters, and Jerry Kane in completing the core GBC team.

The team's GB jumpsuits (which come in long-sleeve and short-sleeve versions) will be inspired by the Power Pack Heroes subline from Kenner's The Real Ghostbusters toy line: green for Carla, purple for Marlie, blue for Jerry, and dark grey for Greg. Their respective no-ghost symbols and name tags will be exactly like how they are for the original GBs' jumpsuits. Their proton packs will be modelled after the Kenner version, but with movie-accurate colors. Their PKE meters will be modelled after the Matty Collector design. Their Ecto-Goggles will be inspired by the ones seen in IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters comics by Erik Burnham (writer), Dan Schoening (artist), and Luis Antonio Delgado (colors) with teal-and-orange colors. Their ghost traps will be based upon the Rubie's design.

Their own Ectomobile, which is named by them "Ecto-4" in honor of their teamwork, will be a modified, all-white Mercedes-Benz van with a siren on its hood, red trim on both of its sides, and the no-ghost symbol appearing on the hood, the left and right doors, and the back door with the sign "ECTO-4 L.A." on the bottom of said door. Their headquarters will be, of course, a vacant firehouse (Old Fire Station No. 27) that they have help in reworking to operate as a monitor for all supernatural activity. The firehouse's logo design will be based upon the logo for 1997's Extreme Ghostbusters with a rivet-like version of the no-ghost logo against an eerie-looking, metallic olive-green circle with the pink-colored words "GHOSTBUSTERS CENTRAL" (the wording uses the font of the RGB logo from Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters) inside the circle.

Note: The name "Ghostbusters Central" comes from the episodes of RGB during the show's Q5 era.

And now for the supporting characters in my pitch:

RANDY ESTEVEZ

Aged 53. A veteran with experience working as an operator for every line of work. All his life, he dreamt of doing the best he could in giving back to others. As part of a family of Puerto Rican immigrants who migrated to America a long time ago where racism was quite strong, he upheld his beliefs every step of the way. Never turning a blind eye to the world around him, he fought through hell and back to maintain a work ethic just like everybody else. He thought that being an operator would allow him to have a steady job. However, he was eventually let go because corporate decided that "young and hip" were all the rage nowadays. Opportunity comes knocking for him in the form of the all-new GBC. He becomes the team's secretary because they need someone with experience and sincerity to guide them. He accepts their offer without hesitation.

SHELLEY CARLISLE

Aged 26. A slightly ambitious yet well-meaning young blonde woman with a knack for inventing things. As a child she watched how characters in movies and TV would make objects on the fly. She was especially fascinated with the titular character from 1980s series MacGyver because of how he made weaponry out of the ordinary. All of this has inspired her to be an inventor in her own right, and with the full support of her parents, she honed her craft all the way up to her current age. She believes her inventions can benefit all of mankind. When she learns about an organization known as Ghostbusters Central, she asks for a job and explains her skillset to them. They hire her and give her the role of mechanic, which pleases her to no end. She's the one tasked with co-development of GBC's equipment.

Note: Shelley, should she choose to help out the GBC crew on the battlefield, will have a caramel-colored GB jumpsuit like Janine Melnitz did in the early Real Ghostbusters episode "Janine's Genie." She can come with her very own ghostbusting weapon which she calls the "Ghostbreaker" (both a reference to one of the names of the original GB movie and a retooling of the Kenner Nutrona Blaster with grey coloring, a metallic no-ghost logo on both sides, and a tan-colored handle), which launches toothpaste-like proton beams at ghosts and ensnares them tightly. She can have her very own ghost trap as well (a movie-style modification of the Kenner design).

MARK BARBERA

Aged 28. A dark-haired young man whose genre-savvyness knows no bounds. He understands the ins and outs of the business world more than any person, and it's his belief that everyone should be treated as equals. His parents had different professions: his father a singer-songwriter and his mother a novelist. He decided to take on a different profession for himself, which just so happened to be that of an equality-themed vlogger. He attracts the attention of the people of GBC, who ask him for a part-time job in making sure everything at their base runs as smoothly as possible. He accepts their offer, provided that he never strays from his main passion.

WILLIAM MORSHOWER

Aged 60. The head of L.A.'s local police department with balding black hair. He doesn't take kindly to injustice on all fronts. He learned what he did through watching multiple police-themed movies and shows, as well as real life. He strongly feels that more should be done to protect the innocent, which is why he set up the department that he's in charge of. The officers on his force are people dedicated to serving the community no matter what the odds. He doesn't approve of GBC's methods when they both meet up, but at the same time he doesn't deny the hard work and determination that they have in busting ghosts, so he begrudgingly respects them.

ALICIA DALTON

Aged 45. The first mayoral candidate of L.A. and GBC's primary human antagonist, having shoulder-length blond hair. She believes that might makes right and that true power must be taken. Raised in a dictatorial household, her mindset became quite evident at a young age. She personally made a vow that she would let nobody walk all over her. As her power grew, so too would her influence on the political landscape. If she's elected mayor, her first order will be to outlaw everything involving the supernatural. However, when actual supernatural events start happening, she immediately uses this opportunity to stop the fledgling GBC from progressing as an organization.

MACY NAKAMURA

Aged 43. Alicia Dalton's right-hand woman. Having earned the nickname of "Dragon Lady" due to the immense criminal record she has, she was taken under Alicia's wing and secretly trained by the latter woman in the art of politics and kung fu. She never had a real life due to the harshness that her family suffered, partially because her father was a dirty dealer. And now, she enacts Alicia's obsessive agenda with no intention of playing around. If push comes to shove, she'll use violence against those who oppose Alicia's world view and cover both their hides. Macy chose the path she's currently on, and Alicia merely serves to embellish it.

JEFF SULLIVAN

Aged 40. The second mayoral candidate of L.A. and a potential ally for GBC, having short, curly brown hair. He was raised to know the difference between right and wrong thanks to the values instilled into him by his late parents. He doesn't believe in taking the easy way out and is willing to fight for what he wants. He's not blind to the gravity of whatever situation he's in and is open to looking at the bigger picture. The campaign between him and Alicia Dalton over who'll be town mayor is as strong as the supernatural forces that'll plague the city as a whole. He becomes aware of GBC's exploits and stands by the organization for doing their duty to contain every ghost possible.

TERENCE OPPENHEIMER

Aged 48. Jeff Sullivan's right-hand man with a bald head and beard. Balance is all that Terence cares about, being someone who cares deeply about both sides of the story. He doesn't mince words when it comes to what's on his mind, such as the supernatural, Ghostbusters Central, and Jeff's rivalry with Alicia Dalton. He isn't afraid to be vulnerable like most people. This type of honesty is why he was selected to be by Jeff's side if the latter man becomes L.A.'s mayor. It's when he crosses paths with Macy Nakamura, Alicia Dalton's partner, that Terence finds himself tested greatly. He's perhaps the only one who doesn't flinch at Macy because he sees someone to feel sorry for.

BAILEY SPRINGFIELD

Aged 38. A Middle Eastern-American upstart in the world of outside news reporting, sporting bobcut-like black hair. She worked her way to the top despite facing heavy competition from people who believed that "America was for Americans." Cutting corners has never been her forte in life, and she believes in the power of honesty instead of perfection. She's no slouch to heavy topics, and when Richmond becomes infested with paranormal activity, she jumps at the opportunity. She keeps a level head about the rising popularity of the new Ghostbusters Central, judging the team by their actions instead of simply dismissing their efforts.

Here now are the villains for my pitch:

THE UNDERLORD

Unknown age. GBC's primary otherworldly antagonist, and the one who orchestrates L.A.'s paranormal problem. He's a giant spector hailing from the Netherworld with sea-green skin and bat-like facial features. He wears an armor-like, sleeveless beige unitard with a mahogany cape attached to his shoulders. A long time ago he was a lowly being who was mistreated simply because he wasn't worthy of being remembered. He rose to power through overcoming the hardest obstacles. A being claiming to be a goddess appeared to him, telling him that to seek more power, he must take it all. And so he did, facing even those much stronger than him. In the end he became the Netherworld's true master. He intends to conquer other worlds, starting with Earth. His lust for power can only be stopped by the brave souls of GBC.

SATANICA

Unknown age. The Underlord's spoiled but just-as-cruel daughter, whom he was able to create out of stolen fairy dust and the rotted remains of a female corpse. She's gold in skin tone with cobalt-blue hair and fallen angel wings, and wears a sleeveless brown top with spiked suspenders, light-purple pants, and copper heels. She's a spector just like her father, but doesn't share her father's ambitions of galactic conquest; all she wants is to scare people to death, which she gets a serious delight out of. This makes her father irritated and decree that, unless she proves her worth to him, she'll never be able to get very far in her undead life. Will her chance meeting with GBC give her the boost that she needs?

MYRIAC

Unknown age. The Underlord's enforcer and second-in-command. He's half the size of his master, sporting skin the color of light blue with silky, ponytailed black hair, a leonine face, claw-tipped hands, and hooves for legs. His uniform is that of silvery spandex (a shirt that goes up to his forearms and shorts that extend to his upper hooves). Like his master and his master's daughter, Satanica, Myriac is a spector. He supports the Underlord's methods because he feels indebted to bring his master's vision to fruition. He became in awe of what the Underlord was capable of when he noticed his future master wipe out a legion of demons who thirsted for power but lacked the ambition to act on that thirst, and so he pledged his allegience. He's yet another opponent for GBC to contend with. He also has a rivalry with Satanica about how they should handle things. Myriac goes by the book while Satanica doesn't, with the latter insisting on doing things her way.

It's been kind of an exhausting effort, but I'm happy with the way this pitch turned out. I give my thanks to Comfortable-Ad3588 for the inspiration. If this pitch were actually made into a movie, I feel it could be more for streaming services instead of theaters. I say so because it would surely benefit the GB brand more. Here's who I'd cast as the main crew for GBC:

Skye Coyne as Carla Davison. I've seen some movies that Skye did, even those for Lifetime. The reason I've picked her is because she could absolutely nail the light and dark sides of the Carla character in every possible area. I do believe that she can.

Alicia Blasingame as Marlie Winters. I've seen her in some long-form and short movies. I became aware of her through her only Lifetime movie, Bodyguard Seduction. I choose her as Marlie because, for me, she has the look of a scientist and could perfectly nail down who Marlie is.

William Brosnahan as Jerry Kane. I know him from the Illumeably channel on YouTube. He freelances for them as an actor. I truly feel like he could stretch his acting chops by bringing Jerry's personality to life and having a literal blast with the role.

David W. Rice as Greg Sandford. I remember him from the Myka Media and Supermission channels on YouTube. I beamed at seeing him briefly in the Lifetime movie Lust, Lies, and Polygamy. He could most certainly do justice to the role of Greg because of the character's complexities.

Now for my fantasy casting for GBOTG's supporting cast:

Armando Rey as Randy Estevez. I primarily know him from YouTube's Dhar Mann Studios channel where he freelances for them as an actor. He'd be the perfect choice to play Randy and truly embrace his Hispanic heritage.

Francesca Xuereb as Shelley Carlisle. I choose Francesca because I've seen her in the Lifetime movie Cheating for Your Life. She could capitalize on her brief Lifetimeverse fame by totally diving into the MacGyver-esque Shelley character.

Philip McElroy as Mark Barbera. He's a budding regular for Lifetime movies, which for me makes him the perfect casting choice for Mark. He would channel every aspect of himself into the role because I truly believe he has that potential.

John Billingsley as William Morshower. I've only ever seen him on Star Trek: Enterprise, where he played the role of Dr. Phlox. He could absolutely pull off the grizzled-but-dedicated cop look with the role of Morshower.

Carrie Schroeder as Alicia Dalton. I know her from the Nickelodeon series I Am Frankie and the number of Lifetime movies that she did. A question that plagues my mind is, has she ever played the bad guy? This role of Alicia is exactly what I had in mind for her. Also it's because I saw her in a MaximoTV video where she attended the Hollywood Museum's Ghostbusters exhibit.

Jennifer Field as Macy Nakamura. I've only seen her in about two or three Lifetime movies. The role of Macy is what I had in mind for Jennifer because she could positively nail down a villainous role if she's given the chance to.

Jonathan Stoddard as Jeff Sullivan. He's a veteran of Lifetime movies, and I feel like he could embody all the traits of the role I've cast for him unapologetically. A politician who genuinely cares what happens in the world is someone worth supporting.

Ethan Suplee as Terence Oppenheimer. When I think of Ethan Suplee, I think of the Disney movie Remember the Titans and the NBC comedy series My Name is Earl. I picked him for this role because he could capture the character's journey in a meaningful way.

Ashton Leigh as Bailey Springfield. I've seen her in several Lifetime movies and really liked her in them. As Bailey, she could really embrace the character because of how determined and capable she is as a professional.

Now it's time for the fantasy villain casting:

Michael Pare as the Underlord. He's a Hollywood veteran, especially with the Lifetime movies he's done. He just so happens to be my choice to play the Underlord because he could really nail down the wickedness of that character.

Shelby Yardley as Satanica. Her role as spoiled girl Lynda in the recent movie Lethally Blonde (which I watched and liked on Tubi) is what inspired me to choose her for this role. She could dive into Satanica's personality and relish it completely. And yes, I've seen her in the Lifetime movies Smuggling in Suburbia and Driven to Kill.

Ross Jirgl as Myriac. His roles in the Lifetime movies A Professor's Vengeance and Bodyguard Seduction and Tubi's Butch Cassidy films inspired me to cast him in this role. I feel that he has all the qualities needed of a fictional paranormal madman.

Michael Anthony Steele (the Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries novels) and Mairghread Scott would be my primary writing choices if my pitch were to ever become a reality. My choice composers would be Andrew Scott Bell and Sunna Wehrmeijer. I've enjoyed ASB's score in Lifetime's Psycho Storm Chaser an Sunna's score for Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power; together, both composers would put their own stamp on the Ghostbusters property by balancing out the eerieness, the hilarity, the action, and the drama. A cover of Ray Parker, Jr.'s iconic GB theme song by the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band (with RPJ's permission) would be fun to hear, as long as the song's funkiness remains intact.

Again, I thank Comfortable-Ad3588 for inspiring me to get this pitch out to the world. I wanted to stay true to the core of the GB franchise without veering entirely off course. I sincerely hope that everyone else enjoys what I came up with.

[CEDAvsFan]

THIS LOOKS SO EPIC!!!!! WHAT AN AWESOME PITCH!!!!

[Philip Gipson]

57 minutes ago, CEDAvsFan said:

THIS LOOKS SO EPIC!!!!! WHAT AN AWESOME PITCH!!!!

Thanks, dude!

[Elektra]

This looks like a great and solid idea.

[Philip Gipson]

16 minutes ago, Elektra said:

This looks like a great and solid idea.

I'm so glad that you enjoy my idea. I've kinda had Ghostbusters on the brain lately.

[Philip Gipson]

On 12/28/2024 at 6:39 AM, Philip Gipson said:

I've come up with this pitch on the fly when a post made by Comfortable-Ad3588 on the Ghostbusters Reddit page asked about headcanons on potential Ghostbuster divisions. It's a spiritual successor to the Ghostbusters: Afterlife universe in which, after the events of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, former Ghostbusters Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz call upon future Ghostbusters everywhere in the world to take up arms and bust ghosts. It goes like this:

When a drilling operation suddenly causes a squadron of multiple ghosts to be released, the Californian city of Los Angeles, gets beseiged with chaos, calamity, devastation, and despair wherever these ghouls go. This prompts four strangers -- two women and two men -- to take action against the threat to their town by forming an organization dedicated to defending the City of Angels from the supernatural. Despite the troubles they face within and without, the four strangers muster up every ounce of their strength to step up to the plate, to answer the call of duty whenever there's something strange in their neighborhood.

The four main characters in my pitch have their own identities and struggles separate from the original main four Ghostbusters. Here they are in order:

CARLA DAVISON

Aged 29. A brown-haired brunette who hides behind humor to mask the inner turmoil she has within her. She had a bright future ahead of her with her comedic writing style until her parents died of natural causes (a stroke for her father and cancer for her mother), leaving her to find a way to maintain her sanity through the comedy genre that she cares about. When she watches a local commercial on TV about a company called "Ghostbusters" located in New York, New York, she takes it as a sign to do research on the company and their exploits (including their huge battles with Gozer the Gozerian, Vigo the Carpathian, and Garraka). This inspires her to want to make a difference in her hometown by forming her very own Ghostbuster unit.

MARLIE WINTERS

Aged 35. A redhead with a fascination for the human condition, inherited by her from her deceased scientist father. As a child, she always was able to read people -- who they were, why they did what they did, and how they're motivated. This has, however, caused her to be alienated by everyone at school, leading to internal problems at home with her family. As she got older she maintained her gift, but her relationship with her living mother has never wavered. Her discovery of the supernatural inspires her to become a scientist with a path much different than her father's. She meets with Carla Davison, who tells Marlie about New York's Ghostbusters organization and asks her to help out in forming their own team in L.A.

JERRY KANE

Aged 32. A curly, dark blond-haired man with a love for all things pop culture. He genuinely pours his heart and soul into anything that piques his interest aside from pop culture. He does his very best to remain objective in spite of anything life throws at him. He secretly wants to get his uncle and aunt out of debt due to a landlord's selfish actions, which is partly why he does what he does for a living. He eventually meets up with Marlie Winters and Carla Davison, and they ask him to join them in forming a team based upon New York's Ghostbusters. To their delight, he accepts their offer humbly. When he asks what their new team will be called, it's Carla who coins the name "Ghostbusters Central," which he smiles on.

GREG SANDFORD

Aged 30. A Black man with a background in modelling. Understandably a skeptic in superstition, he went about his entire life believing that the supernatural only existed in fiction. In truth, he hides a deep inner trauma regarding a childhood incident involving a so-called haunted house that actually turned out to be a base of operations for three petty criminals. He has the support of his entire family regarding that incident, which he appreciates. Soon enough, what he believes to be fiction will turn into a reality when ghosts run rampant, and he must learn to adjust to that reality when all kinds of ghosts wreak havoc in the city. He's recruited by Carla Davison, Marlie Winters, and Jerry Kane in completing the core GBC team.

The team's GB jumpsuits (which come in long-sleeve and short-sleeve versions) will be inspired by the Power Pack Heroes subline from Kenner's The Real Ghostbusters toy line: green for Carla, purple for Marlie, blue for Jerry, and dark grey for Greg. Their respective no-ghost symbols and name tags will be exactly like how they are for the original GBs' jumpsuits. Their proton packs will be modelled after the Kenner version, but with movie-accurate colors. Their PKE meters will be modelled after the Matty Collector design. Their Ecto-Goggles will be inspired by the ones seen in IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters comics by Erik Burnham (writer), Dan Schoening (artist), and Luis Antonio Delgado (colors) with teal-and-orange colors. Their ghost traps will be based upon the Rubie's design.

Their own Ectomobile, which is named by them "Ecto-4" in honor of their teamwork, will be a modified, all-white Mercedes-Benz van with a siren on its hood, red trim on both of its sides, and the no-ghost symbol appearing on the hood, the left and right doors, and the back door with the sign "ECTO-4 L.A." on the bottom of said door. Their headquarters will be, of course, a vacant firehouse (Old Fire Station No. 27) that they have help in reworking to operate as a monitor for all supernatural activity. The firehouse's logo design will be based upon the logo for 1997's Extreme Ghostbusters with a rivet-like version of the no-ghost logo against an eerie-looking, metallic olive-green circle with the pink-colored words "GHOSTBUSTERS CENTRAL" (the wording uses the font of the RGB logo from Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters) inside the circle.

Note: The name "Ghostbusters Central" comes from the episodes of RGB during the show's Q5 era.

And now for the supporting characters in my pitch:

RANDY ESTEVEZ

Aged 53. A veteran with experience working as an operator for every line of work. All his life, he dreamt of doing the best he could in giving back to others. As part of a family of Puerto Rican immigrants who migrated to America a long time ago where racism was quite strong, he upheld his beliefs every step of the way. Never turning a blind eye to the world around him, he fought through hell and back to maintain a work ethic just like everybody else. He thought that being an operator would allow him to have a steady job. However, he was eventually let go because corporate decided that "young and hip" were all the rage nowadays. Opportunity comes knocking for him in the form of the all-new GBC. He becomes the team's secretary because they need someone with experience and sincerity to guide them. He accepts their offer without hesitation.

SHELLEY CARLISLE

Aged 26. A slightly ambitious yet well-meaning young blonde woman with a knack for inventing things. As a child she watched how characters in movies and TV would make objects on the fly. She was especially fascinated with the titular character from 1980s series MacGyver because of how he made weaponry out of the ordinary. All of this has inspired her to be an inventor in her own right, and with the full support of her parents, she honed her craft all the way up to her current age. She believes her inventions can benefit all of mankind. When she learns about an organization known as Ghostbusters Central, she asks for a job and explains her skillset to them. They hire her and give her the role of mechanic, which pleases her to no end. She's the one tasked with co-development of GBC's equipment.

Note: Shelley, should she choose to help out the GBC crew on the battlefield, will have a caramel-colored GB jumpsuit like Janine Melnitz did in the early Real Ghostbusters episode "Janine's Genie." She can come with her very own ghostbusting weapon which she calls the "Ghostbreaker" (both a reference to one of the names of the original GB movie and a retooling of the Kenner Nutrona Blaster with grey coloring, a metallic no-ghost logo on both sides, and a tan-colored handle), which launches toothpaste-like proton beams at ghosts and ensnares them tightly. She can have her very own ghost trap as well (a movie-style modification of the Kenner design).

MARK BARBERA

Aged 28. A dark-haired young man whose genre-savvyness knows no bounds. He understands the ins and outs of the business world more than any person, and it's his belief that everyone should be treated as equals. His parents had different professions: his father a singer-songwriter and his mother a novelist. He decided to take on a different profession for himself, which just so happened to be that of an equality-themed vlogger. He attracts the attention of the people of GBC, who ask him for a part-time job in making sure everything at their base runs as smoothly as possible. He accepts their offer, provided that he never strays from his main passion.

WILLIAM MORSHOWER

Aged 60. The head of L.A.'s local police department with balding black hair. He doesn't take kindly to injustice on all fronts. He learned what he did through watching multiple police-themed movies and shows, as well as real life. He strongly feels that more should be done to protect the innocent, which is why he set up the department that he's in charge of. The officers on his force are people dedicated to serving the community no matter what the odds. He doesn't approve of GBC's methods when they both meet up, but at the same time he doesn't deny the hard work and determination that they have in busting ghosts, so he begrudgingly respects them.

ALICIA DALTON

Aged 45. The first mayoral candidate of L.A. and GBC's primary human antagonist, having shoulder-length blond hair. She believes that might makes right and that true power must be taken. Raised in a dictatorial household, her mindset became quite evident at a young age. She personally made a vow that she would let nobody walk all over her. As her power grew, so too would her influence on the political landscape. If she's elected mayor, her first order will be to outlaw everything involving the supernatural. However, when actual supernatural events start happening, she immediately uses this opportunity to stop the fledgling GBC from progressing as an organization.

MACY NAKAMURA

Aged 43. Alicia Dalton's right-hand woman. Having earned the nickname of "Dragon Lady" due to the immense criminal record she has, she was taken under Alicia's wing and secretly trained by the latter woman in the art of politics and kung fu. She never had a real life due to the harshness that her family suffered, partially because her father was a dirty dealer. And now, she enacts Alicia's obsessive agenda with no intention of playing around. If push comes to shove, she'll use violence against those who oppose Alicia's world view and cover both their hides. Macy chose the path she's currently on, and Alicia merely serves to embellish it.

JEFF SULLIVAN

Aged 40. The second mayoral candidate of L.A. and a potential ally for GBC, having short, curly brown hair. He was raised to know the difference between right and wrong thanks to the values instilled into him by his late parents. He doesn't believe in taking the easy way out and is willing to fight for what he wants. He's not blind to the gravity of whatever situation he's in and is open to looking at the bigger picture. The campaign between him and Alicia Dalton over who'll be town mayor is as strong as the supernatural forces that'll plague the city as a whole. He becomes aware of GBC's exploits and stands by the organization for doing their duty to contain every ghost possible.

TERENCE OPPENHEIMER

Aged 48. Jeff Sullivan's right-hand man with a bald head and beard. Balance is all that Terence cares about, being someone who cares deeply about both sides of the story. He doesn't mince words when it comes to what's on his mind, such as the supernatural, Ghostbusters Central, and Jeff's rivalry with Alicia Dalton. He isn't afraid to be vulnerable like most people. This type of honesty is why he was selected to be by Jeff's side if the latter man becomes L.A.'s mayor. It's when he crosses paths with Macy Nakamura, Alicia Dalton's partner, that Terence finds himself tested greatly. He's perhaps the only one who doesn't flinch at Macy because he sees someone to feel sorry for.

BAILEY SPRINGFIELD

Aged 38. A Middle Eastern-American upstart in the world of outside news reporting, sporting bobcut-like black hair. She worked her way to the top despite facing heavy competition from people who believed that "America was for Americans." Cutting corners has never been her forte in life, and she believes in the power of honesty instead of perfection. She's no slouch to heavy topics, and when Richmond becomes infested with paranormal activity, she jumps at the opportunity. She keeps a level head about the rising popularity of the new Ghostbusters Central, judging the team by their actions instead of simply dismissing their efforts.

Here now are the villains for my pitch:

THE UNDERLORD

Unknown age. GBC's primary otherworldly antagonist, and the one who orchestrates L.A.'s paranormal problem. He's a giant spector hailing from the Netherworld with sea-green skin and bat-like facial features. He wears an armor-like, sleeveless beige unitard with a mahogany cape attached to his shoulders. A long time ago he was a lowly being who was mistreated simply because he wasn't worthy of being remembered. He rose to power through overcoming the hardest obstacles. A being claiming to be a goddess appeared to him, telling him that to seek more power, he must take it all. And so he did, facing even those much stronger than him. In the end he became the Netherworld's true master. He intends to conquer other worlds, starting with Earth. His lust for power can only be stopped by the brave souls of GBC.

SATANICA

Unknown age. The Underlord's spoiled but just-as-cruel daughter, whom he was able to create out of stolen fairy dust and the rotted remains of a female corpse. She's gold in skin tone with cobalt-blue hair and fallen angel wings, and wears a sleeveless brown top with spiked suspenders, light-purple pants, and copper heels. She's a spector just like her father, but doesn't share her father's ambitions of galactic conquest; all she wants is to scare people to death, which she gets a serious delight out of. This makes her father irritated and decree that, unless she proves her worth to him, she'll never be able to get very far in her undead life. Will her chance meeting with GBC give her the boost that she needs?

MYRIAC

Unknown age. The Underlord's enforcer and second-in-command. He's half the size of his master, sporting skin the color of light blue with silky, ponytailed black hair, a leonine face, claw-tipped hands, and hooves for legs. His uniform is that of silvery spandex (a shirt that goes up to his forearms and shorts that extend to his upper hooves). Like his master and his master's daughter, Satanica, Myriac is a spector. He supports the Underlord's methods because he feels indebted to bring his master's vision to fruition. He became in awe of what the Underlord was capable of when he noticed his future master wipe out a legion of demons who thirsted for power but lacked the ambition to act on that thirst, and so he pledged his allegience. He's yet another opponent for GBC to contend with. He also has a rivalry with Satanica about how they should handle things. Myriac goes by the book while Satanica doesn't, with the latter insisting on doing things her way.

It's been kind of an exhausting effort, but I'm happy with the way this pitch turned out. I give my thanks to Comfortable-Ad3588 for the inspiration. If this pitch were actually made into a movie, I feel it could be more for streaming services instead of theaters. I say so because it would surely benefit the GB brand more. Here's who I'd cast as the main crew for GBC:

Skye Coyne as Carla Davison. I've seen some movies that Skye did, even those for Lifetime. The reason I've picked her is because she could absolutely nail the light and dark sides of the Carla character in every possible area. I do believe that she can.

Alicia Blasingame as Marlie Winters. I've seen her in some long-form and short movies. I became aware of her through her only Lifetime movie, Bodyguard Seduction. I choose her as Marlie because, for me, she has the look of a scientist and could perfectly nail down who Marlie is.

William Brosnahan as Jerry Kane. I know him from the Illumeably channel on YouTube. He freelances for them as an actor. I truly feel like he could stretch his acting chops by bringing Jerry's personality to life and having a literal blast with the role.

David W. Rice as Greg Sandford. I remember him from the Myka Media and Supermission channels on YouTube. I beamed at seeing him briefly in the Lifetime movie Lust, Lies, and Polygamy. He could most certainly do justice to the role of Greg because of the character's complexities.

Now for my fantasy casting for GBOTG's supporting cast:

Armando Rey as Randy Estevez. I primarily know him from YouTube's Dhar Mann Studios channel where he freelances for them as an actor. He'd be the perfect choice to play Randy and truly embrace his Hispanic heritage.

Francesca Xuereb as Shelley Carlisle. I choose Francesca because I've seen her in the Lifetime movie Cheating for Your Life. She could capitalize on her brief Lifetimeverse fame by totally diving into the MacGyver-esque Shelley character.

Philip McElroy as Mark Barbera. He's a budding regular for Lifetime movies, which for me makes him the perfect casting choice for Mark. He would channel every aspect of himself into the role because I truly believe he has that potential.

John Billingsley as William Morshower. I've only ever seen him on Star Trek: Enterprise, where he played the role of Dr. Phlox. He could absolutely pull off the grizzled-but-dedicated cop look with the role of Morshower.

Carrie Schroeder as Alicia Dalton. I know her from the Nickelodeon series I Am Frankie and the number of Lifetime movies that she did. A question that plagues my mind is, has she ever played the bad guy? This role of Alicia is exactly what I had in mind for her. Also it's because I saw her in a MaximoTV video where she attended the Hollywood Museum's Ghostbusters exhibit.

Jennifer Field as Macy Nakamura. I've only seen her in about two or three Lifetime movies. The role of Macy is what I had in mind for Jennifer because she could positively nail down a villainous role if she's given the chance to.

Jonathan Stoddard as Jeff Sullivan. He's a veteran of Lifetime movies, and I feel like he could embody all the traits of the role I've cast for him unapologetically. A politician who genuinely cares what happens in the world is someone worth supporting.

Ethan Suplee as Terence Oppenheimer. When I think of Ethan Suplee, I think of the Disney movie Remember the Titans and the NBC comedy series My Name is Earl. I picked him for this role because he could capture the character's journey in a meaningful way.

Ashton Leigh as Bailey Springfield. I've seen her in several Lifetime movies and really liked her in them. As Bailey, she could really embrace the character because of how determined and capable she is as a professional.

Now it's time for the fantasy villain casting:

Michael Pare as the Underlord. He's a Hollywood veteran, especially with the Lifetime movies he's done. He just so happens to be my choice to play the Underlord because he could really nail down the wickedness of that character.

Shelby Yardley as Satanica. Her role as spoiled girl Lynda in the recent movie Lethally Blonde (which I watched and liked on Tubi) is what inspired me to choose her for this role. She could dive into Satanica's personality and relish it completely. And yes, I've seen her in the Lifetime movies Smuggling in Suburbia and Driven to Kill.

Ross Jirgl as Myriac. His roles in the Lifetime movies A Professor's Vengeance and Bodyguard Seduction and Tubi's Butch Cassidy films inspired me to cast him in this role. I feel that he has all the qualities needed of a fictional paranormal madman.

Michael Anthony Steele (the Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries novels) and Mairghread Scott would be my primary writing choices if my pitch were to ever become a reality. My choice composers would be Andrew Scott Bell and Sunna Wehrmeijer. I've enjoyed ASB's score in Lifetime's Psycho Storm Chaser an Sunna's score for Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power; together, both composers would put their own stamp on the Ghostbusters property by balancing out the eerieness, the hilarity, the action, and the drama. A cover of Ray Parker, Jr.'s iconic GB theme song by the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band (with RPJ's permission) would be fun to hear, as long as the song's funkiness remains intact.

Again, I thank Comfortable-Ad3588 for inspiring me to get this pitch out to the world. I wanted to stay true to the core of the GB franchise without veering entirely off course. I sincerely hope that everyone else enjoys what I came up with.

I forgot to switch "Richmond" to "L.A." for Bailey's bio. I originally intended to have my pitch be based in Richmond, Indiana, but I went with Los Angeles, California instead.