New 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' clip reveals familiar foe

Watch: Paul Rudd comes face to face with a mini-puft

Ghostbusters: Afterlife will see the return of a classic enemy — albeit in a much reduced form — it has been revealed.

A new clip from the forthcoming Ghostbusters sequel shows Paul Rudd coming face-to-face with a Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the fictional candy mascot, while shopping in a supermarket.

However, rather than being a city-destroying behemoth like we last saw him in in the original 1984 film, he's a tiny Gremlin-like critter.

He's angry, he's vicious, he's legion... and he's a cannibal, as we see the Mini-Pufts making smores with each other over a burning barbecue.

It's a fun little clip with a hint of the chaotic energy that made the original film a global smash, earning a passionate fanbase worldwide.

Read more: Ghostbusters: Afterlife reveals new ghost Muncher

Directed by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman director of the first two films, this new Ghostbusters film is considered the third film in the series, and ignores the events of Paul Feig's 2016 female-led reboot.

Picking up the story 30 years on from the events of Ghostbusters 2, which saw New York under attack from supernatural forces, Afterlife sees the descendants of Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler (Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace) moving into the former paranormal investigator’s remote farm house.

Original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver are all said to be making cameo appearances.

Talking about showing his dad the new film, Reitman Jr told Empire: “My father hasn’t been leaving the house much because of Covid. But he took a test, put on a mask and drove down to the Sony lot to watch the movie with the studio."

“And after, he cried, and he said, ‘I’m so proud to be your father.’ And it was one of the great moments of my life.”

Originally due for release in July 2020, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now slated for a UK release autumn 2021. Watch a trailer below.