Since 1984, there has been one simple answer to the question, “Who you gonna call?”
That answer is, of course, Ghostbusters. This holiday season, fans of the iconic comedy will be treated to the latest installment of the supernatural spectacular. The film is currently set to release on December 20, 2023. Today marks the 39th anniversary of the beloved film, and with Ghostbusters Day taking place this Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Hook and Ladder 8 – the iconic exterior filming location of the original firehouse – let’s take a look at what we currently know about the next film in the series ahead of this weekend’s big event!
Filming began on March 20 of this year, as was confirmed on Jason Reitman’s Instagram. While details regarding the film have been scarce, some information and photos have slowly been emerging from the Warner Brothers sound stage in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England, giving us exciting glimpses of what is to come.
The previous film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, was a major box office and VOD success, though some fans and critics were left divided over the tone being different from the original film and its heavy use of nostalgia. Meanwhile, others praised it as a fitting cap to the past while offering a glimpse into the next chapter.
Let’s take a look at all we currently know about the upcoming 4th Ghostbusters film and the follow-up to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
PLOT
Known since the early stages of pre-production under the codename ‘Firehouse’, plot details have been very much kept under wraps, a rarity in this day and age of instant digital media spreading worldwide. At one point, it was reported by many outlets that the film would be titled Ghostbusters: Hell’s Kitchen, though this was later confirmed false by GhostbustersNews.com as only an inside working title and not the official title. No official title has been released as of this writing, though the use of the ‘Firehouse’ codename remains.
When we last saw our new and old heroes, they had just defeated the second coming of Gozer, and the Spengler family was about to sit around the old farmhouse table to learn about their family history and get to know their new friends – the OG Ghostbusters.
However, to longtime fans, the final shots in the post-credits scene of the 2021 sequel teased something much bigger in the distance. We saw the banged-up Ecto-1 pulling into the now dilapidated Firehouse, while self-made billionaire Winston Zeddemore speaks (mostly) in voiceover to Janine Melnitz (played expertly 40 years later by the ageless Annie Potts) about always being a Ghostbuster despite other things he does in life. In the final seconds, a shot is shown of the dusty containment unit in the basement of the firehouse with a blinking red light – a major indicator of something big on the horizon – before cutting to black.
We’ve learned that the film will pick up after the events of Afterlife. It appears as if they are back in business, with Winston leading the charge and a new team ready to do some busting. There was a video game, 2022’s Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, that was set after the events of Afterlife featuring a Winston-led company – with Ray’s Occult Books conveniently located next door now. It is unknown if this will be canonized in the new film or if any components may be utilized.
Following Afterlife, fans have many unanswered questions, including wanting details about Egon’s secret daughter (and possible life prior to his time in New York), why there haven’t been any ghosts sighted worldwide since the mid-’90s, where Slimer was, and many others. Some fans are even questioning the whereabouts of Ecto 1-A from 1989’s Ghostbusters 2 – a question director/producer Jason Reitman refused to answer last year, instead implying that it may tie into future stories.
With so many questions to answer, fans have been buzzing and speculating, especially over who from past films will return.
CAST
As with plot details, casting had been a little light on announcements until late March of this year.
We have known that both Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon will be back in the roles of Gary Grooberson and Callie Spengler, respectively. McKenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler) and Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), while not announced officially, have indicated via social media that they will be joining the cast as well. However, until late March, no other casting news had broken.
Thanks to Deadline.com, we now know that joining Rudd and Coon will be some interesting names sure to have fans talking even more. Deadline announced the additions of Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, British comedian James Acaster, and Doctor Sleep’s Emily Alyn Lind.
Nanjiani and Oswalt are both longtime fans of the franchise, with Kumail saying in a recent interview that he loved the film as a child and was excited to be on board in a role that “…makes the world a lot bigger.” Patton Oswalt had previously appeared as Mooglie, the ghost from the iconic “No-Ghost” logo in the 2016 game, Ghostbusters VR. The roles both will take on are unknown at this time.
The biggest question of all is who from the original cast will be returning. There has been no confirmation from Columbia Pictures or its parent studio, Sony Pictures. However, in an interview with The Film Collective, Ernie Hudson said, “It’s great to be back with Danny and Bill and Annie Potts and the new cast. It’s been forty years, it just feels like family.”
In late May, British comedian David Walliams posted the photo below to his Instagram of himself with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. Many were quick to point out the film trailers in the background. This has led to widespread speculation that Ernie Hudson’s words may have been correct and this could be on the set of the latest film in the series.
A photo reported to be from the filming location taken by reporters for Click News and Media in the UK may have spoiled yet another original cast return. It appears as if William Atherton’s snobby Walter Peck may still be causing the Ghostbusters problems all these years later. Only time will tell if he kept his job at the E.P.A. after the conclusion of the first film, or maybe he moved on to other areas of power to cause them trouble. Regardless, many are happy to see the return of Atherton’s Peck after almost 40 years and are happy to welcome “dickless” himself back to the series (Well, that’s what I’ve heard…at least from Dr. Venkman).
The same report also contained these photos of a very stylish Winston Zeddemore, as well as Paul Rudd’s Gary Grooberson in a long black robe (with a very telling article of clothing sticking out of the top of it). Could Mr. Grooberson be getting called into duty himself?
PAUL RUDD AND ERNIE HUDSON CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA PHOTOS
It looks like the film has a strong cast and will have the leadership of Jason Reitman (keeping it in the family after being passed the torch by his father, the late Ivan Reitman) as executive producer. Gil Keenan (Monster House) will direct from a script he co-wrote with Reitman.
FILMING
One of the new stars, Emily Alyn Lind, recently took to social media to share an interesting photo of herself in a film trailer, presumably on set of the sequel. In this photo, you can see she’s blocked out possible wardrobe in the background that may be a spoiler. Emily is also seen wearing a new UK crew hat. The hat features a Ghostbusters: Firehouse logo based on the design of the world-famous London Underground logo. This version has already found its way online in various forms of fan art, such as this example by…
As you can see, it is an exciting time to be a Ghostbusters fan. The new film, animated projects, Rise of The Ghostlord VR game, and more on the way, it’s a great time to be a fan. Maybe 2023 will see the return en masse of Hi-C’s Ecto Cooler (or so we can hope). So, for now, get ready to strap on your proton pack, grab your P.K.E. meter, and keep bustin’ once again this holiday season.
Infamous Horror’s own A.C. McCray will be covering all things Ghostbusters leading up to the release and 40th anniversary. Stay tuned to Infamous Horror for the latest updates on the next Ghostbusters film and watch for a 40th Anniversary series retrospective coming in June 2024.
