Over the past several decades, moviegoers have been introduced to a plethora of different film franchises that have come to define the entertainment industry as we know it today. Whether we’re talking about the iconic mafioso franchise The Godfather to sci-fi epics such as Star Wars and Star Trek, the list is as long as it is diverse with something for virtually everybody regardless of your tastes or preferences. Many of those franchises continue to live on today as new casts and crews are enlisted to bring the ideas of executives and producers to life for new generations of fans to be enthralled by, with the latest example of that just being announced earlier today. It looks like another Ghostbusters film is currently in the works, with Gil Kenan set to direct the latest installment and sequel to last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Originally debuting in 1984, the Ghostbusters franchise was spawned as a comedic take on the classic ghost story as a group of men spearheaded by the legendary Bill Murray were attempting to save New York City from supernatural forces. That first film was a massive success amassing nearly $300 million in box offices globally and was followed up by a sequel in 1989 that raked in a comparable amount, firmly cementing the franchise’s place in Hollywood history. Thus it was no surprise when the franchise was rebooted with an all female cast in 2016, or again just last year with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife that took the franchise in a new, unique direction that has done a great job breathing new life into the franchise as a whole. Now a sequel to that project is on the horizon, and a new director has been officially named for the impending project with Gil Kenan being officially enlisted to undertake the responsibility as production commences. Kenan is certainly no stranger to the project either having helped co-write Ghostbusters: Afterlife as well as directing projects like the 2006 animated film Monster House and 2015’s Poltergeist reboot, seemingly making him the prime candidate to lend his talents to the sequel. While further details about the project remain sparse at this time, it is confirmed that the cast of the 2021 project, such as Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard, will be returning to reprise their roles and that the story will be returning to renovated fire station in Manhattan that Bill Murray and company originally made famous as their headquarters; beyond that though, eager fans will have to remain patient as further information becomes available.
While it may not be for everybody, I genuinely cannot think of a single person who has ever told me that they did not enjoy the original 1980’s Ghostbusters films in at least some capacity. Even if you aren’t a fan of the supernatural, Bill Murray is funny enough on his own to incite laughter from just about anybody and especially when paired with Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. While the 2016 reboot may have struggled somewhat in comparison in terms of its box office successor reviews, Ghostbusters: Afterlife fared much better when it debuted last year and fans of the iconic franchise may have more in store for them than they even realize with the sequel to that project looming on the horizon. Make sure to check back for further updates regarding the next installment of the Ghostbusters franchise in the coming weeks as production commences.
