After the smash success of Ghostbusters: Afterlife last year, we now have our first official details about the franchise’s next live-action movie. On Wednesday, during the annual Ghostbusters Day celebration, it was confirmed that the next film will be set in New York City, and will be operating in its production under the working title of “Firehouse.” As returning director Jason Reitman put it, “The last time we saw Ecto-1, it was driving back into Manhattan: the home of Ghostbusters. That’s where our story begins. The code name is FIREHOUSE.” This is the latest extension of the Ghostbusters franchise to be confirmed at Ghostbusters Day, including an animated series and movie.
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While plot details for the new Ghostbusters film are unclear beyond that, the idea of Afterlife’s central cast of characters heading to New York City will definitely be a pleasant surprise for fans. While Afterlife took place in a rural setting, the film was jam-packed with references and homages to previous films, and those will surely continue once the sequel heads back to the Big Apple. New York was previously also the setting of the 2016 female-led reboot of Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was directed by Reitman, with a script from Reitman and Gil Kenan. The film starred Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, with returning appearances from original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver. The film proved to be the final film of franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman, prior to his passing in February of this year.
“Jason Reitman — who actually was in the second movie, he was the kid who opens the second movie, and I just remember him being around the set on both of the movies. So I know that he grew up with them, it’s very personal to him, he wrote an amazing script, and he’s established himself as a director on his own right,” Hudson previously told ComicBook.com. “He’s a wonderful director and so when this started to happen, and because Jason was involved, I felt this would actually happen, I was really excited about it. But when it happened, going to the set for the first time and seeing Sigourney Weaver and Bill [Murray] and Dan [Aykroyd], honestly, it was almost spiritual. I mean, I know that sounds weird, but I was very moved by it. I was very touched.”
What do you think of the first details surrounding the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel? Are you excited to see the franchise return to New York? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
