Ghostbusters Animated Movie Will Focus On New Characters

The Ghostbusters franchise continues to expand, this time with an animated feature from Sony Animation revolving around brand new characters.

An animated Ghostbusters movie revolving around brand new characters has officially been put into development. The beloved ghost-hunting franchise has only grown in size since the original 1984 comedy, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and the late Harold Ramis as the titular team. Ghostbusters has since expanded into comics, games, and television. However, it remains first and foremost a film franchise.

Last year saw the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a direct sequel to the original movies from the ’80s. Helmed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, the new movie acted as something of a reboot for the franchise. It introduced the next generation of ghost-hunters, led by Egon Spengler’s granddaughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace). Afterlife has spurred the creation of several new projects for the property, including another sequel (now largely only known as Ghostbusters 5) and an animated television series.

Back in June, we revealed how the code name revealed by director Jason Reitman is “FIREHOUSE,” alluding to the iconic Ghostbusters headquarters from the original film. The new movie is set to take place back where it all began as the Spengler family returns to Manhattan in New York City.

However, that is far from the end of what is in store for Ghostbusters. During the official Ghostbusters Day event on Wednesday, Reitman announced a new animated movie is in development at Sony Animation. It will feature all new characters and offer a brand new take on the Ghostbusters mythology. Jennifer Kluska and Chris Prynoski will direct, while Brenda Hsueh is writing the script. At the event, Reitman said in a statement:

“This was a passion project of my father’s and it’s easy to understand why. The world of the unknown can only be properly explored through the limitless reach of animation.”

Little else is known about this Ghostbusters animated movie. The mention of all new characters suggests that fans shouldn’t expect to see those like Peter Venkman or Ray Stantz, but small cameos aren’t entirely out of the question. That this Ghostbusters spinoff will offer a “new take” on the franchise is an especially intriguing note; it sounds like the movie will revolve around a very different kind of ghost-busting team. Or perhaps it won’t involve a traditional team at all, but will instead explore other aspects of this world that is frequently inhabited by ghosts.

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In a sense, the animated Ghostbusters feature feels almost reminiscent of the 2016 reboot that was directed by Paul Feig. Billed as the all-female Ghostbusters, that movie was famously criticized by a certain section of the fanbase for, among other things, straying too far from the spirit of the original movies. Working in the animated movie’s favor are Reitman’s comments, which suggest the new Ghostbusters project will serve as a faithful and key expansion of the franchise. It seems that Ghostbusters is now focused on building its own cinematic universe. If done properly, this could win over a whole new generation of fans while appeasing those who have stuck around since the very beginning. Hopefully, more information will be revealed soon.