Ghostbusters: Afterlife sets up sequels with an even larger main team. For decades, the iconic Ghostbusters franchise was known for a very specific cast of comedic actors, but all that has changed over the course of the last few years. While time certainly creates differences in the physical appearances of characters who were in their 30s when the first Ghostbusters film was released, recent years have seen other big changes take hold. The death of Harold Ramis in 2014 was a major blow not just to the Ghostbusters franchise, but also to the entertainment world as a whole.
Then, in 2016, Sony decided to switch things up, remodelling the entire Ghostbusters team with a female cast. The move was an interesting one, but ultimately Ghostbusters: Answer the Call simply didn’t have much of the fun or intrigue that made the original two Ghostbusters films such enduring hits. With demand still high for an official sequel to 1989’s Ghostbusters II, Jason Reitman (son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman), has taken up the challenge, and this time, a new generation of young Ghostbusters is arriving in 2021. Though Ghostbusters: Afterlife was intended to release this summer, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the film back to a 2021 release date. Still, fans remain optimistic and downright excited for this official third installment in the franchise.
To date, they've heard many different things about the film, but in a recent interview with EW, original ghostbuster and franchise co-creator Dan Aykroyd stated Reitman is “passing the DNA of the first two movies directly to the new generation.” Aykroyd, who also appears alongside the remaining original ghostbusters in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, went on to explain the new generation of ghostbusters will be set up for future films, in which others can join the famed group of paranormal investigators:
He’s passing the DNA of the first two movies directly to the new generation. It’s just a lot of fun to see these terrific young actors slinging the old Cadillac around and having the equipment in their hands. The story that develops from that is scary and funny and heartfelt and also funny. And it feeds into the possibility of more follow-ups with this group and with others who want to join.
Fans have, of course, heard it stated before that Ghostbusters: Afterlife aims to set up a new Ghostbusters franchise, but the fact that “others” can join really leaves things open for interpretation. In fact, the closest Ghostbusters fans have gotten to this concept is the still to be actualized animated series, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force. Announced back in 2016, the concept behind it was a global battle against paranormal forces, lead by various Ghostbusters units around the world. Given that Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s new iteration of the Ghostbusters is made up of teenagers, there’s plenty of room for long-term growth should the film become a hit. It certainly looks as though Reitman, as well as Sony, are thinking about the inherent possibilities with such a franchise.
Throughout all of this, it must be Aykroyd who is the happiest. For years, he pushed to get Ghostbusters 3 made. The star saw potential with the franchise beyond what it had previously achieved, but for whatever reason, it took decades to get things moving in the right direction. This isn’t to say that Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be a guaranteed hit, but so far, the film seems to be moving in a direction that many fans find easy to get behind.
Source: EW
