Ghostbusters: Winston Zeddemore "Figures Strongly" Into Franchise's Future

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The finale of Ghostbusters: Afterlife saw original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson return to offer assistance to Egon Spengler's family, with director Jason Reitman recently confirming that future adventures in the franchise will see Hudson's Winston Zeddemore being an important element. While none of the original stars had major involvement in Afterlife's narrative, Aykroyd's Ray Stantz had arguably the most substantial contributions to the plot in regards to the original actors. With Afterlife confirmed to be getting a sequel and various other Ghostbusters projects being developed, there's a number of ways Zeddemore can more thoroughly be integrated into upcoming narratives.

When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Afterlife director Jason Reitman teased, "The character of Winston Zeddemore and Zeddemore Industries figures strongly into the future of Ghostbusters."

While Winston might not have had a major role in Afterlife, the film included a major tease that both Winston and Annie Potts' Janine Melnitz would return to their ghost-busting roots. The live-action sequel to Afterlife won't be the only place in which Winston can make his presence known, as there will also be a Ghostbusters animated movie and animated series on the way.

"The animated film will take us to places that we've never been before," writer Gil Kenan revealed to the outlet. "We love these characters, and we're so excited to push the boundaries of what we think of as a Ghostbusters story. We will keep the flame burning bright with all these concepts, which will continue to grow what a Ghostbusters story can be."

Reitman added, "An animated series and an animated film will allow us to go deeper into places that Dan Aykroyd talked about when he first talked about Ghostbusters."

Confirming the potential of what can be explored in a different medium from live-action, The Real Ghostbusters was an animated staple of young audiences in the 1980s, as it allowed the series to deliver monsters and worlds that would have been too costly or complicated to bring to life back then. 

As fans wait for the upcoming Afterlife sequel, a new comic book series from Dark Horse will help bridge the storytelling gaps.

"When we first talked about Afterlife three years ago at Ghostbusters Day, our hope was that it would lead to all kinds of great storytelling, that it wouldn't be a one-off film, but the opening of a door," Reitman explained. "And today, that promise comes true. If you're a Ghostbusters fan, you're about to have access to all different decades of Ghostbusters history as well as the future, characters you haven't met yet, and places you haven't gone yet. If you're a Ghostbusters fan, you've got a lot coming your way."

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Ghostbusters franchise.

Are you looking forward to more Winston? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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