Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan shares an update on the future of the franchise following the lukewarm reception to his most recent installment. After the success of Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), the Ghostbusters franchise returned in 2023 with Frozen Empire, a film that sees new and legacy characters come together to stop a villain named Garraka from destroying New York City. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire reviews were mixed from critics, and the film wasn't a box office hit, raising questions about what's next for the franchise.
In a recent interview with The Direct, Kenan shares a vague update regarding the future of the Ghostbusters franchise after Frozen Empire, confirming that he and producer/ writer Jason Reitman are planning additional films. Though he doesn't provide any details about what's coming next in terms of story or cast, he does tease that they will be projects made for "the big screen." Check out his comment below:
"We definitely are continuing the conversation of telling big Ghostbuster stories on the big screen.
"The answer is yes, Jason [Reitman]... we take the responsibility and the joy of being the keepers of the flame of 'Ghostbusters' very seriously... we definitely are continuing the conversation of telling big 'Ghostbuster' stories on the big screen. And stay tuned. There'll be more. There'll be more about that later."
Reitman directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and his father, Ivan Reitman, directed Ghostbusters (1984) and its 1989 sequel.
What Frozen Empire's Performance Means For Ghostbusters' Future
How The Next Movie Will Probably Be Different
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire currently stands as the lowest-rated entry in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes, featuring only a 42% critics' score. Though the audience score is higher at 82%, the film was widely criticized for relying too much on nostalgia over strong storytelling, and the large Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire cast also proved challenging to balance.
Reducing the budget could mean telling a more intimate and contained story, but it could also mean limiting the film's cast.
Frozen Empire was made on an estimated budget of $100 million and grossed $201 million at the worldwide box office. Though it's possible the film broke even with this amount, especially after VOD performance is factored in, it's still undoubtedly a disappointing result. Afterlife managed to gross $204 million, but it's important to note that this film had a budget of only $75 million.
Related
Why Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's Reviews Are So Much Worse Than Afterlife
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has been met with a much worse critical reception than Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Why are the reviews so negative?
The next Ghostbusters movie, then, is likely to feature a smaller budget. With interest in the franchise seemingly capping at around $200 million worldwide, the next film will need to be made at a budget level where this kind of result won't be considered disappointing, such as $75 million. Reducing the budget could mean telling a more intimate and contained story, but it could also mean limiting the film's cast. Original franchise stars like Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, after all, likely command quite high salaries.
Our Take On The Ghostbusters Franchise's Future
It's Time To Leave The Past Behind
Though it's certainly exciting to see legacy characters like Peter Venkman (Murray), Ray Stantz (Aykroyd), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) on-screen, Frozen Empire has proven that it's time for the franchise to move forward with new characters. Relying on nostalgia can be effective, but it shouldn't be the main draw of a movie, especially not two movies in a row.
Where the franchise takes the story after the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ending will probably determine how much longevity it has. If it can tell an exciting new story with characters like Gary (Paul Rudd), Callie (Carrie Coon), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), the next movie could serve as the foundation upon which to build the new era of the franchise. After Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the franchise needs something of a fresh start, and Kenan's comment certainly suggest that audiences haven't seen the last of this IP just yet.
Source: The Direct
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
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Action
Comedy
Supernatural
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
*Availability in US
- Director
- Gil Kenan
- Release Date
- March 22, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Columbia Pictures , Bron Creative , Ghost Corps , Right of Way Films
- Distributor(s)
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- Writers
- Jason Reitman , Gil Kenan
- Cast
- Finn Wolfhard , Mckenna Grace , Logan Kim , Celeste O'Connor , Carrie Coon , Paul Rudd , Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Ernie Hudson
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- Ghostbusters
- prequel(s)
- Ghostbusters (1984) , ghostbusters 2 , Ghostbusters: Afterlife
