Credit: Sony PicturesGhostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) may have quietly recast an iconic character.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) might be packed with legacy characters such as Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), but Frozen Empire will give it a run for its money.
This time, the original Ghostbusters will have more significant roles. Janine will even pick up a proton pack, while Walter Peck (William Atherton), Slimer, and the Librarian Ghost from the 1984 film are also back. Simply put, Frozen Empire is oozing with legacy characters.
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With the sequel also boasting wackier ghosts and ghost-busting gadgets, the filmmakers have admittedly drawn inspiration from the cartoon series The Real Ghostbusters (1986 — 1991). But there’s one area of the franchise that remains a source of untapped potential.
The follow-up cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) might have been short-lived, and while IDW Publishing’s long-running Ghostbusters comic book series salvages many parts, there’s an iconic character who’s yet to be given the live-action treatment: Kylie Griffin.
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Kylie Griffin (voiced by Tara Strong) is the blue-haired Ghostbuster from the cartoon series that has become a cult classic within the fandom. Though lesser known in the mainstream, with her iconic hair and orange outfit, she’s a fan-favorite character who remains a popular cosplay at comic conventions.
Griffin returned in the IDW comics, continuing her career as a Ghostbuster while also helping out at Ray’s Occult Books. Needless to say, Afterlife missed a huge opportunity by not introducing her as Ray’s assistant. But will Frozen Empire right this wrong?
Related: ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Trailer Breakdown
It’s rather suspicious that, so far, only three of the film’s four newcomers have had their identities revealed. James Acaster is paranormal scientist Lars Pinfield, Patton Oswalt is paranormal historian Dr. Hubert Wartzki, and Kumail Nanjiani’s Nadeem Razmaadi sells possessed artefacts to Ray’s Occult Bookstore (although there’s probably more to his character than meets the eye).
But despite there being three substantial trailers, Doctor Sleep (2019) star Emily Alyn Lind, who was confirmed to have joined the cast last year, is nowhere in sight. In fact, the only time she’s appeared in any of the marketing was last year when she uploaded a selfie in a Ghostbusters outfit to Instagram, which mysteriously vanished the next day.
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Is it possible the Gossip Girl (2021) actress has already replaced Tara Strong and donned the blue hair and ghostly pale makeup for Frozen Empire?
There might be plenty of Ghostbusters ready to take on the new villain Garraka, but looking at that line of customers eager to get rid of their possessed artefacts outside Ray’s Occult Books in the international trailer, it sure looks like Mr. Stantz needs a hand.
Check out the brand-new domestic trailer for Frozen Empire below, per Sony Pictures:
Per the official website, here’s the synopsis for the film:
In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level.
But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Frozen Empire stars Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), McKenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), Celeste O’Connor (Lucky Domingo), Logan Kim (Podcast), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), William Atherton (Walter Peck), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), James Acaster (Lars Pinfield), Patton Oswalt (Dr. Hubert Wartzki), Kumail Nanjiani (Nadeem Razmaadi), and Emily Alyn Lind in an undisclosed role.
The film will be released in theaters on March 22, 2024.
An upcoming four-issue comic book series titled Ghostbusters: Back in Town (2024) that bridges the gap between Afterlife and Frozen Empire will be released on March 27, 2024.
Do you think Emily Alyn Lind has been cast as Kylie Griffin? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!