While Ghostbusters: Afterlife served as the first sequel to the original narrative since 1989’s Ghostbusters II, it also introduced audiences to a number of new heroes, including McKenna Grace’s Phoebe. A sequel to Afterlife has already been announced, with Grace being just as excited to find out what’s in store for her and the rest of the cast as fans are, as she revealed that she is pestering director Jason Reitman about what the next film in the franchise could be exploring. Ghostbusters 4 is expected to hit theaters on December 20, 2023. Grace can next be seen in A Friend of the Family when it premieres on Peacock on October 6th.
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“I’m constantly pressuring Jason Reitman, our director, I’m always trying to figure out what the story is,” Grace shared with ComicBook.com when discussing what’s in store for her character. “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.”
While Afterlife focused largely on Phoebe discovering how ghostbusting runs in her family, the film’s finale saw original stars return to lend a hand in defeating the spectral threat. The new film will surely lean heavily on the new characters, leaving fans to wonder if any other original characters will be featured in the new film.
A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (McKenna Grace) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of a few years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.
Jan Broberg herself served as a producer on the series, who shared the note, “I am Jan Broberg, and A Friend of the Family tells our family’s story and my story. We were a loving, trusting, educated family. We were not stupid or careless. So how could this happen in our neighborhood, where we knew everyone, and everyone was a friend? The truth is that most predators are not strangers but people we know — people who can build trust, create special friendships, and separate family members psychologically.
“As little girls, we talked and we listened around the dinner table every night. Mom and Dad were always there. We were so safe, so loved, so carefree. Then, in 1972, we met the nicest new family at church, with children who matched us in age. A deep friendship ensued. Over several years, our families did hundreds of activities together: church parties, family dinners, boating and snowmobile trips, sleepovers, game nights, movies, and barbecues. Then on a normal afternoon, the father kidnapped me — and from age 12 to 16 I was sexually assaulted and severely brainwashed by this man who I trusted.
“This story will make you talk, shout, cry — and it will make you angry. Good. The team of writers, actors, designers, directors, and producers led by Alex Hedlund, Eliza Hittman, and Nick Antosca have captured the heart of how good people can be manipulated and their children victimized. Our story is relatable because so many families have direct experience with this sort of abuse.
“I hope that our story will start conversations — because secrets live in darkness and silence.”
Ghostbusters 4 is expected to hit theaters on December 20, 2023. Grace can next be seen in A Friend of the Family when it premieres on Peacock on October 6th.
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