‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Is Getting THREE Sequels!

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(L to R) Celeste O'Conner (Lucky), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor), Logan Kim (Podcast), and McKenna Grace (Phoebe) in Ghostbusters Afterlife

Credit: Sony Pictures

Just a few weeks after the announcement that a new Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is in the works, Ghostbusters Day, which took place on June 8, brought with it even more exciting news about the future of the franchise. And it’s fair to say that there’s going to be something strange in the neighborhood for a few years to come, as a number of projects have been confirmed.

Despite falling short in a few areas, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) turned out to be a huge hit for Sony, catching a supernatural $204 million worldwide in its ghost trap and wowing fans and critics alike, so it’s really no surprise that Sony intends to keep the Ecto-Containment Unit open. But what fans weren’t expecting was just how wide open those doors are.

McKenna Grace as Phoebe in Ghostbusters Afterlife
Credit: Sony Pictures via YouTube

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Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a sequel to the original two Ghostbusters movies, Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989). However, this time it doesn’t follow the original characters Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis), instead focusing on a new generation altogether.

Phoebe (McKenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Podcast (Logan Kim), and Lucky (Celeste O’Conner) don the flight suits and the proton packs when they learn that there’s something strange in the neighborhood, which, on this occasion, happens to be the unsuspecting backwater town of Summerville in Oklahoma, a welcome break from New York City.

Ghostbusters Afterlife
Credit: Sony Pictures

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Phoebe and Trevor, however, are the grandchildren of Egon Spengler, who passes away at the start of the movie, which echoes the real-life passing of Harold Ramis in 2014. So, themes of passing the torch are present, which is also echoed off screen with director Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman, the director of the first two Ghostbusters movies who recently passed away.

But Ghostbusters: Afterlife isn’t just a love letter to Harold Ramis, it’s an ode to Jason Reitman’s time on the sets of those original two movies as a child, as well as an homage to the films themselves, which it does by bringing back original Ghostbusters villains Gozer (Olivia Wilde), the Terror Dogs, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, as well as, of course, the original Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Credit: Sony Pictures

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However, if you think that Ghostbusters: Afterlife serves as a fitting end to what is now the  Ghostbusters Trilogy, think again, because the story is far from over. On Ghostbusters Day, Jason Reitman confirmed that the working title for the upcoming live-action Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is Firehouse, a reference to the Ghostbusters’ New York-based headquarters.

A post shared by the official Ghostbusters Twitter account on June 9 reads, “The last time we saw Ecto-1, it was driving back into Manhattan: the home of Ghostbusters. That’s where our story begins. The code name is FIREHOUSE. — @Jason Reitman, @GilKenan #GhostbustersDay”

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This can be taken as solid confirmation that the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel will return to New York City, which is already teased in both the film’s closing shot and a post-credits scene, in which Winston Zeddemore and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) discuss the re-opening of the firehouse, followed by a scene in which Winston does just that.

The upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel, which as yet has no release date, is described as “the next chapter in the Spengler family story”. As such, it’s reasonable to expect to see the return of McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Conner, Carrie Coon (Callie), and Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), and perhaps even Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd too.

Ghostbusters Afterlife
Credit: Sony Pictures

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However, another Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel (of sorts) was teased a few months ago in the form of a trailer for the upcoming multiplayer video game Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (2022), which sees Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd reprising their roles as Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz, respectively. The game appears to be a follow-up to Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

So, you could say that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is getting two sequels — one in the form of an actual live-action movie, and another in the form of the seemingly canonical video game. But there’s more — not only was a new animated Ghostbusters series announced for Netflix, but an animated Ghostbusters movie is in the works too, both of which were also confirmed on Twitter.

“A new animated #Ghostbusters feature is in development with all new characters and a whole new take – helmed by #JenniferKluska and @ChrisPrynoski, and written by #BrendaHsueh. #GhostbustersDay @sonyanimation”

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“We’re not done. We’re back in animated television! @SonyAnimation is teaming up with @Netflix to create the next generation of Ghostbusters. This series will navigate an unexplored era of the Ghostbusters Canon. #GhostbustersDay”

While the animated Ghostbusters series and the animated Ghostbusters movie will be canon, it’s unknown at this time whether they will serve as follow-ups to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. However, there is yet another Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel in the works, which will come in the form of a new comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics.

The Twitter post for this announcement reads, “Part of the growing #Ghostbusters story that began in 1984, an in-canon limited edition series with @DarkHorseComics will be coming out at the end of next year. #GhostbustersDay”

Related: Did You Miss This Epic Crossover Between the Original ‘Ghostbusters’ and the 2016 Reboot?

Ghostbusters is no stranger to the world of comic books, as a long-running series fell under IDW Publishing for a decade. However, it looks like Dark Horse Comics now hold the publishing rights, which would explain why IDW Publishing is no longer in the picture. Either way, unlike the existing comic book series, it looks like the untitled story will be primary canon.

With an upcoming live-action movie, animated movie, animated series, canonical comic book, a video game, and two virtual reality games, it’s certainly a great time to be a Ghostbusters fan. Who ya gonna call? Well, there’s no need to call anyone, because there’s plenty coming your way.

IDW Ghostbusters Comics
Credit: IDW Publishing

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Are you excited for all the upcoming Ghostbusters sequels and TV shows? Let us know in the comments down below!

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