‘Ghosts’ Returns With New Movie Trailer for The Possession of Button House

Key Points

• Lionsgate UK has released the first trailer for the feature-length film Ghosts: The Possession of Button House, bringing the beloved BBC sitcom back in a new “family adventure” format.
• The film reunites series creators, writers and stars Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, who all return both in front of and behind the camera.
• The original Ghosts TV series, which followed Alison and Mike as they navigated life in a haunted country mansion, ran for five seasons on BBC One from 2019 to 2023 and developed a strong cult following.
• In the new trailer, a group of teenagers break into an abandoned Button House and accidentally trigger a chaotic encounter with the resident ghosts via a misfiring Ouija board message.
• The film introduces what is billed as a “feature-length family adventure”, with Lolly Adefope, Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe confirmed among the returning cast members.
• Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is scheduled to open in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland on 23 October, giving fans a new Halloween-season release to look forward to.
• The British series previously inspired an American remake, airing on CBS, which concluded its fifth and final season in May after a strong multi-year run.
• The creative team behind the original series has stressed that the film aims to capture the same balance of heart, humour and spooky chaos that defined the BBC show, while telling a standalone story accessible to newcomers.
• The new trailer leans into both nostalgia and suspense, offering glimpses of familiar ghostly residents of Button House while teasing new supernatural complications tied to the Ouija board incident.
• Fans of the franchise are already discussing the implications of revisiting Button House after the series finale, including how the film might expand the lore of the ghosts and their unfinished business.

London (Britain Today News) June 22, 2026 – Lionsgate UK has unveiled the first full trailer for Ghosts: The Possession of Button House, a new feature-length film that revives the much-loved BBC comedy Ghosts in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

How does the new ‘Ghosts’ film build on the BBC series?

The original Ghosts television series aired on BBC One between 2019 and 2023, following young couple Alison and Mike as they inherited and attempted to renovate Button House, a crumbling country mansion overrun by a mismatched ensemble of ghosts from different eras. As reported in the official production notes for the series, the show combined farcical set-pieces with an unexpectedly warm exploration of memory, grief and belonging, helping it become one of the BBC’s standout ensemble comedies of the past decade.

The new film, Ghosts: The Possession of Button House, is positioned as a “feature-length family adventure” that returns to the same haunted estate while introducing a fresh storyline centred on a group of teenagers who trespass into the now-abandoned property. According to the synopsis shared with the trailer release, the film seeks to honour the tone and character dynamics of the series while expanding the scale of the supernatural threat facing Button House and its spectral inhabitants.

What does the trailer for ‘The Possession of Button House’ reveal?

In the newly released trailer, a group of modern-day teenagers are shown breaking into an apparently deserted Button House under cover of darkness, their torch beams picking out dust, cobwebs and the familiar crumbling interiors that fans will recognise from the BBC series. As described in promotional materials accompanying the trailer, their nocturnal exploration quickly shifts from mischief to menace when they assemble around a Ouija board in an attempt to contact any spirits still lingering in the mansion.

The footage shows the ghosts attempting to communicate with the intruders, only for the message to become garbled and misinterpreted, triggering a comically chaotic yet potentially dangerous “botched” séance that hints at the “possession” of the title. The trailer also intercuts brief flashes of the returning ghostly ensemble, with familiar faces reacting in horror, amusement and exasperation as the teenagers disturb the uneasy peace of Button House and unleash new supernatural complications.

Who is returning from the original ‘Ghosts’ creative team?

Lionsgate UK’s announcement stresses that the film reunites the core creative team behind Ghosts, with Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond all credited as creators, writers and stars of The Possession of Button House. As noted in production publicity, this group has been central to the franchise since its inception, having previously worked together on Horrible Histories and Yonderland before developing Ghosts as a vehicle for their ensemble comedy.

In a statement shared alongside the trailer, the team emphasised their commitment to preserving the “heart” of the original show, explaining that they approached the film as an opportunity to tell a bigger, more cinematic story without losing the intimate, character-driven humour that defined the series.

“We wanted it to feel like spending one more wild weekend at Button House with old friends,”

one member of the writing team explained, underlining the nostalgic appeal being pitched to long-time viewers.

Which cast members are confirmed for ‘The Possession of Button House’? 2026

The trailer and accompanying announcements confirm that Lolly Adefope, Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe are among the returning performers reprising their roles in the film. In the original series, Ritchie played Alison, the living woman who gained the ability to see and hear the ghosts after a near-fatal accident, while Smith-Bynoe portrayed her practical, often bemused partner Mike; Adefope, meanwhile, became a fan favourite as the earnest and socially awkward Georgian noblewoman ghost Kitty.

Lionsgate UK’s materials highlight that these performers will once again anchor the human and spectral perspectives of the story, even as the film introduces a group of teenage characters whose break-in at Button House appears to set the main plot in motion. By foregrounding familiar faces in the marketing, the studio is signalling that the film is designed both as a reunion for existing fans and an accessible entry point for new audiences discovering Ghosts for the first time on the big screen.

When and where will ‘Ghosts: The Possession of Button House’ be released? 2026

According to Lionsgate UK’s release schedule, Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is slated to open in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland on 23 October, positioning it as a family-friendly option for the run-up to Halloween. The timing mirrors the original series’ reputation as a playful yet atmospheric ghost story suited to autumn viewing, suggesting that the studio aims to make the film part of seasonal cinema-going habits.

While no wider international release dates have yet been formally announced in the trailer materials, the British and Irish rollout will be watched closely by distributors given the strong overseas interest generated by the American remake of Ghosts. Industry observers note that a successful opening could encourage additional releases or streaming deals that would bring the Button House film to audiences beyond its core UK fan base.

How did the BBC series ‘Ghosts’ become a cult favourite? 2026

The BBC One series Ghosts premiered in 2019 and quickly drew praise for its blend of sharp ensemble comedy and heartfelt storytelling, with critics highlighting the way it used the haunted-house format to explore themes such as history, class and personal regret. Over its five-season run, which concluded in 2023, the show steadily built a dedicated fan community, helped by streaming availability and word-of-mouth recommendations that broadened its reach beyond traditional linear broadcast audiences.

Commentators have noted that the series’ success lay partly in the way it humanised its ghosts, giving each a distinct backstory and emotional arc that unfolded across episodes, while consistently mining humour from their clashes with the living couple attempting to modernise Button House. The decision to end the series after a planned five-season run, rather than stretching it indefinitely, was widely seen as allowing the creative team to deliver a satisfying conclusion—a factor which now makes the film feel like an unexpected bonus chapter for fans.

What role did the American remake of ‘Ghosts’ play in the franchise’s growth? 2026

The British series inspired an American adaptation, also titled Ghosts, which aired on CBS and reimagined the premise for a new set of characters and a different haunted property, while retaining the core conceit of a living couple cohabiting with a motley band of ghosts. According to coverage of the US show’s conclusion, the American version ran for five seasons before airing its final episodes in May, mirroring the longevity of the original BBC series and demonstrating the concept’s international appeal.

While The Possession of Button House focuses specifically on the British continuity, the existence of a successful American remake has broadened global awareness of the Ghosts brand, potentially increasing interest in a theatrical feature. Media analysts suggest that fans of the US series may be drawn back to the original British incarnation through the film, especially if overseas distribution or streaming arrangements make it readily available outside the UK and Ireland.
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How is the film positioning itself as a ‘family adventure’? 2026

Lionsgate UK describes Ghosts: The Possession of Button House as a “feature-length family adventure”, language that signals a tonal balance of light scares, broad comedy and emotionally resonant character moments rather than outright horror. The trailer supports this positioning by juxtaposing eerie imagery—such as creaking corridors, flickering lights and the ritualistic layout of the Ouija board—with slapstick reactions and witty one-liners from both the living and the dead.

As noted by commentators reacting to the trailer, this approach is consistent with the BBC series’ ability to appeal to a broad age range, making the film a candidate for family outings as much as for existing adult fans revisiting a favourite show.

“We’ve always wanted Ghosts to be something families could watch together, laughing at the same jokes for different reasons,”

one member of the creative team explained in promotional remarks, underscoring the aim of delivering a cinema experience that balances nostalgia with accessibility.

What themes and questions does ‘The Possession of Button House’ appear to explore? 2026

The trailer’s focus on a misjudged Ouija board session suggests that the film will delve into questions about consent, boundaries and the unintended consequences of dabbling in the supernatural—albeit handled with the show’s characteristic humour. The sight of teenagers treating Button House as a spooky playground hints at a generational clash, with the ghosts once again forced to respond to the living’s casual disregard for the mansion’s history and its spectral residents’ feelings.

At the same time, the return of Alison, Mike and the rest of the core cast invites speculation that the film will revisit the emotional journeys left behind at the end of the series, potentially exploring how both the living and the dead continue to evolve even after apparent narrative closure.

“If the series was about making peace with the past, the film asks what happens when the past refuses to stay politely in place,”

one promotional line teases, hinting at a story that balances comedic chaos with questions about legacy and remembrance.

How are fans reacting to the return to Button House? 2026

Early online discussion around the trailer reflects a mix of excitement and cautious curiosity, with long-time viewers expressing delight at the prospect of revisiting Button House while wondering how the film will fit within the carefully concluded arc of the original series. Social media posts highlighted in coverage of the trailer show fans sharing screenshots of favourite returning characters, quoting comedic lines and speculating about new ghostly lore that might be introduced through the “possession” storyline.

Some fans have also voiced appreciation for the involvement of the original creative team in both writing and performing roles, seeing this as reassurance that the film will maintain the tone and quality of the BBC show rather than feeling like a purely commercial spin-off.

“Knowing it’s the same lot behind the camera makes it feel like a proper goodbye—or maybe a proper encore,”

one viewer remarked in a widely shared comment, capturing the mixture of nostalgia and anticipation surrounding the October release.