Ghostbusters Star Addresses Possible Franchise Return for Frozen Empire Sequel

One of the most exciting elements of this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was getting to see Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz finally getting to sport the iconic jumpsuit worn by her colleagues in previous adventures, though one of the disappointing elements of the sequel was that it was devoid of Sigourney Weaver’s Dana Barrett. Making matters all the more disappointing is that Weaver herself is unaware of whether she’ll be reprising her role in a future film, but given that a Frozen Empire sequel has yet to be announced, we can’t rule out Weaver’s return entirely. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is out now on home video and streaming on Netflix. 

When asked by Deadline about if there could be a return to the franchise, Weaver confessed, “Not that I’m aware of.”

Fans were understandably disappointed that Weaver didn’t appear in the latest adventure, but it was something they were prepared for, as Weaver herself confirmed she wasn’t going to be in the movie when discussing it with Collider last year, noting, “No, I mean, I wasn’t asked to be in this Ghostbusters … And I think, you know, a little of us goes a long way.”

In addition to appearing in the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, Weaver had a cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, while also appearing as a cameo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Weaver isn’t the only one who sat out Afterlife, as fan-favorite actor Rick Moranis has yet to return to the franchise since Ghostbusters II, though he has virtually left the entire entertainment industry behind.

Interestingly, Weaver’s remarks about how “a little of us goes a long way” feels prescient about the reception to Frozen Empire. One of the common reactions among audiences and critics is that, regardless of how much they enjoyed all the characters, by giving significant roles to all the characters who were introduced in Afterlife and also having characters from the original movies earn substantial screen time, it resulted in an experience that felt a bit crowded. 

While it’s currently unknown what the live-action future of the franchise might be, Netflix is currently developing an animated Ghostbusters series. Given that the franchise was kept alive with the animated The Real Ghostbusters series in the ’80s after the two live-action movies, it’s entirely possible that this new series at Netflix could keep the spirit of the heroes alive for years to come.

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

Would you like to see Weaver return to the series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!