A Perfect Sequel to an Iconic ‘80s Sci-Fi Franchise Was Just Added to Hulu

The 1980s were a peak era for science fiction that birthed some of the most iconic franchises in the genre, with the likes of Back to the Future, Aliens, and more. As the modern reboot and revival craze in Hollywood has brought some of those franchises back to the big screen for the modern era, a legacy sequel to an iconic ‘80s sci-fi franchise just landed on Hulu, and fans won’t want to miss it.

Hulu subscribers can now stream nearly the entire Ghostbusters franchise (sans 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot) after Ghostbusters: Afterlife joined the Disney-backed streamer. Jason Reitman’s 2021 follow-up to Ghostbusters II started streaming on Hulu on February 16th, just two weeks after the arrival of the franchise’s first two movies. The movie is the fourth film in the iconic franchise and sees Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver reprise their roles from earlier films for a story set 30 years after Ghostbusters II as a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town and discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Revitalized the Iconic ‘80s Franchise

When it comes to legacy sequels, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one of the best. The movie managed to pass the torch to a new generation of fans with a story that shifted the setting from New York City to rural Oklahoma and introduced a fresh cast of characters that brought their own skills and personalities to the table. At the same time, Afterlife’s nostalgia-driven narrative packed with callbacks to the original (including returning cast members and the Ecto-1, proton packs, and Gozer) was perfect for long-time fans. The movie effectively bridged the gap between the ‘80s era and the modern era and set the stage for the new team to take over the franchise as the baton was passed from Egon to his granddaughter, Phoebe, and the kid-centric adventure tone that balanced adventure and emotion made for a pretty rewarding film.

Afterlife really is a top-tier legacy sequel, and that was rewarded with a $204 million box office haul and fresh critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes of 63% and a near-perfect 94%. The film’s success managed to revitalize the franchise, resulting in the 2024 sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which is also available on Hulu. A sequel to Frozen Empire is also in the works, but details on that are scarce. Netflix is also reportedly developing an animated Ghostbusters movie following the surge of interest in the IP.

What’s New on Hulu?

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one of dozens of new movies now streaming on Hulu following the wave of fresh arrivals throughout February. The Hulu library is now stocked with fresh streaming titles like Django Unchained, The Help, John Tucker Must Die, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sister Act, 12 Years a Slave, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, among numerous others. Others, including The Astronaut and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, are set to drop later in the month.

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