With nearly a year remaining until the film's release, Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Mckenna Grace opens up about her excitement to play her character again in Ghostbusters 5. Grace starred in the 2021 sequel as Phoebe Spengler, granddaughter of Harold Ramis' original Ghostbuster Egon who moves into his dilapidated Oklahoma farmhouse after they're evicted and inherit the property. Upon moving in Phoebe and her brother Trevor learn of Egon's legacy and of his investigation into local supernatural happenings with potential ties to the Manhattan crossrip of 1984 and must use his old Ghostbuster equipment to save the world.
Alongside Grace, the cast for Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured both new and returning franchise faces, including Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts. Co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan, the 2021 film scored generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike for its cast and nostalgic tone, while its fan service left some divided. With Ghostbusters: Afterlife becoming a box office hit, grossing over $204 million against its $75 million production budget, a sequel was confirmed to be in the works for a December 2023 release and now one star is sharing their thoughts on coming back.
While speaking with ComicBook.com for the Peacock show A Friend of the Family, Mckenna Grace opened up about her Ghostbusters 5 return. Though noting she hasn't heard an update on what the story will hold for the film, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor expressed her excitement at getting to play Phoebe again. See what Grace said below:
I'm constantly pressuring Jason Reitman, our director, I'm always trying to figure out what the story is. I literally have no ounce of a clue what the story is. If I knew about a Marvel film or if I knew about Ghostbusters, I'd be sitting here, and I'd be like, 'I have no clue, and it's driving me nuts.' I'm just excited to do a second one. I'm just excited to be Phoebe.
Where Ghostbusters 5's Story Could Go
Though Grace may not know much about Ghostbusters 5's potential story, Reitman has previously confirmed that the film will return the events of the story to New York City and continue the Spengler family's journeys. Given one of Ghostbusters: Afterlife's post-credits scenes saw Hudson's Winston Zeddemore purchasing the old firehouse and returning the Ecto-1 to it, it would be interesting to see if the Spenglers use their experience having battled Gozer in the previous film to reopen the ghost-hunting business. Additionally, with the scene showing that the ecto-containment unit in the basement is flashing red, the group could come back together to save the world from a new threat.
It is interesting to note that Grace has yet to hear of any story tidbits or see a script for Ghostbusters 5. Given the film is slated for a December 2023 release, it seems likely filming would need to begin in the next couple of months to make its release date, though given Ghostbusters: Afterlife was completed in less than three months, production on Ghostbusters 5 may not begin until after the new year. In the meantime, audiences can celebrate the Halloween season and revisiting the first two Ghostbusters movies streaming on Hulu and Ghostbusters: Afterlife available on Starz.
Source: ComicBook.com