Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Reveals Original Cast's Return

The next generation of Ghostbusters are back in this week's just-released trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire -- but so are the old guard, this time featured in the first trailer, and in their jumpsuits, leaving no doubt as to their presence in the film and the franchise. When Ghostbusters: Afterlife was being promoted, filmmakers tried to keep it secret that Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson would not only return, but would strap on their proton packs one more time. With Frozen Empire, each of the three appear in the trailer, leaving a lot less room for speculation.

It's no surprise that Dan Aykroyd is back, because the Ghostbusters franchise is near and dear to his heart. The Blues Brothers star has a genuine interest in the supernatural, which both led to the creation of Ghostbusters and keeps him passionate about it decades later. Similarly, Quantum Leap star Ernie Hudson was always going to be back in some capacity, since the end of Ghostbusters: Afterlife revealed that his character has made a series of smart investments and, among his many business holdings, Winston Zeddemore still owns the Ghostbusters firehouse HQ.

Murray, who has never been as excited as the other Ghostbusters to jump back into action, was a bigger question mark. Seeing him suited up in the new trailer shows how effectively writer and producer Jason Reitman has managed his relationship with the original films' talent. Reitman, who directed Afterlife, is the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman. He co-wrote Frozen Empire with Gil Kenan (Scream: The TV Series), who will direct the movie instead of Reitman.

Here's the official synopsis for the film, via the YouTube page for the trailer:

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O'Connor, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Annie Potts, James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind. The film is scheduled to release in theaters on March 29, 2024.