'Ghostbusters' TV Series Gets Imminent Release Date Ahead of 'Frozen Empire'

When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who ya gonna call? With several Ghostbusters suddenly available, we have no idea! But what we do know is that a beloved Ghostbusters TV series is finally being unleashed from the Ecto Containment Unit (ECU).

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) is about to thaw in preparation for its theatrical release on March 22. It’s the fifth movie overall but the fourth in the main canon series, following Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

This time, specters and spooks of all shapes and sizes are unleashed from the ECU in the Ghostbusters’ Firehouse when a supernatural entity named Garraka plunges New York City into “a second Ice Age” in the middle of summer.

(L to R) Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and McKenna Grace in 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' — Credit: Sony Pictures

Fortunately, there are now more paranormal eliminators than you can shake a Neutrona Wand at. “Crossing the streams” are the returning legacy characters, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), and the Afterlife ensemble, Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace), Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucky Domingo (Celeste O’Connor), Podcast (Logan Kim), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd).

While this year marks the 40th anniversary of the original 1984 film, Frozen Empire is just the beginning of a new wave of installments. There’s a new four-issue comic book series titled Ghostbusters: Back in Town (2024) hitting shelves on March 27, and an animated series and an animated movie heading for Netflix. Frozen Empire director/writer Gil Kenan has also hinted at future movie sequels.

Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace) screaming in 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' — Credit: Sony Pictures

But if the franchise has taught us anything, looking to the past is even more fun than looking to the future (Afterlife feels like a lesson in nostalgia from start to finish). Which brings us nicely onto the fact that one of the most underrated entries in the franchise is now finally making its way onto physical media in the United States.

For the first time, the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), which followed the original cartoon The Real Ghostbusters (1986 — 1991), will be released as a complete 9-disc DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on March 19, 2024, three days before Frozen Empire hits theaters. Though no longer considered canon in conjunction with the films, the show has become a cult classic within the fandom.

'Extreme Ghostbusters' line-up — Credit: Columbia TriStar Television Distribution / Bohbot Entertainment

Unlike its 1986 predecessor, the 1997 series (which was often listed as Ghostbusters Dark by some networks when it aired) is geared mostly towards older fans. Its titular team is comprised of gothic cult enthusiast Kylie Griffin (Tara Strong), cynical wise-cracker Eduardo Rivera (Rino Romano), disabled athlete Garrett Miller (Jason Marsden), and mechanical whizz Roland Jackson (Alfonso Ribeiro), who are joined by returning characters, Egon Spengler (Maurice LaMarche), Janine Melnitz (Pat Musick), and Slimer (Billy West).

Check out the official intro for the series below:

The series is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and on the official Ghostbusters YouTube channel.

Check out the 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.

Will you be buying a copy of Extreme Ghostbusters? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!