[GuyX]

A recent news round-up:

Sources have hinted Frozen Empire was profitable for Sony, with streaming presumably doing well. They’ve had many high profile bombs so that helps. Seems inevitable there will be a third live movie. Ernie has also suggested they will want another.

Dan hinted he and Bill will be out but could be managing expectations, contract negotiations or acknowledging the complaint about too many characters in FE.

The animated series is in production.

They’ve just announced the animated movie has a director and will also partner with Netflix.

The future seems bright! Good times.

Which sources have hinted Frozen Empire was profitable?

I don’t think we will see a live action GB movie for some time.

I’m excited about the animated realm. This franchise seems to be on the ropes and if they get great animated series and movies made? Who knows where that leads.

Each movie is making less but costing more. So getting new fans is key. Look at what the Spiderverse movies have been able to do. Not that Spiderman was on the ropes but they’ve got an animated and live action Spiderman going at the same time.

I’d love someone like Genndy Tartakovsky to get a ghostbusters animated movie. If anyone remember Dexters Lab? He did that show. Many others too. Samurai Jack. The first version of the Clone Wars for Star Wars. The great and underrated Primal. He’d be great.

[Chicken, He Clucked]

Which sources have hinted Frozen Empire was profitable?

Fandango home streaming revenue chart just came out. Frozen Empire the highest Sony Pictures entry of 2024 at #8. On top of the impressive Netflix numbers. Ernie said it made them some money, not Marvel money, but enough to do more.

I don’t think we will see a live action GB movie for some time.

It’s all relative. I think by the end of this decade we’ll have a third movie.

I’m excited about the animated realm. This franchise seems to be on the ropes and if they get great animated series and movies made? Who knows where that leads.

Me too - especially because of the fresh talent they’ve got on board.

[Chicken, He Clucked]

So guys… what do you think we might get first in 2025…

Release date for the animated series.
Release date for the animated movie.
Announcement of a third live action movie.

[Kingpin]

I think of the three, we'd maybe be more likely to hear about a fifth film... As both animated projects still seem quite early in their development. I'm happy to be proved wrong, but as both of them are likely to come out in 2026 at the earliest, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't get a release date for either in 2025... Or at most, very late 2025.

[mrmichaelt]

So guys… what do you think we might get first in 2025…

Release date for the animated series.
Release date for the animated movie.
Announcement of a third live action movie.

I think the animated series is the furthest along of the three. Feels like animation will be the focus of GB Day 2025 since we got 3 of them in the works.

[d_osborn]

I wouldn't be shocked to see a live action movie announcement this year. Outside of producing Idle Hands with Finn, I don't think Jason or Gil have announced their next projects.

I'd LOVE to know more about the various animation projects that have been in development for the past decade plus, especially the one that was considered Ivan's passion project.

[Bison256]

I think that's unlikely considering Frozen Empire's box office. But then again Karvan and Madam Web were absolute bombs, so who knows.

If they make another one they need to retool. Keep Lars, Phoebe and maybe Nadeem, relegate Callie, Ray and Winston to a small supporting roles. Then bring in some new interesting characters. Trevor and to lessor degree Lucky are boring, just leave them out. Podcast is a good character but it's hard to justify him being in NYC.

[Kingpin]

I think that's unlikely considering Frozen Empire's box office.

Just so I understand you correctly, are you saying you think it's unlikely we'll see another film?

Sure, it's not impossible the franchise could go dormant again, but the Ghostbusters franchise is one of the few Sony owns outright and still brings in money, even if it isn't the levels they'd hope for. The franchise is still active, which is more than currently be said for Men in Black, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Robert Langdon, Underworld, Resident Evil or Jump Street.

Even with the performances of Answer the Call, Afterlife and Frozen Empire taken into consideration, Sony has shown a willingness to revisit Ghostbusters even when some industry people would probably advise them to give up on it. I appreciate Sony's willingness likely stems a lot from the company's desire to have a successful ongoing movie franchise so it can try to compete with the likes of Marvel.

Between Sony's willingness in the recent past to dip its toe back in the Ghostbusters pool, and the successes of Hasbro's HasLab projects, I believe Sony will be willing to give a fifth live action film a go because they'll have seen there's still money to be squeezed out of the franchise.

[Bison256]

I think that's unlikely considering Frozen Empire's box office.

Just so I understand you correctly, are you saying you think it's unlikely we'll see another film?

Sure, it's not impossible the franchise could go dormant again, but the Ghostbusters franchise is one of the few Sony owns outright and still brings in money, even if it isn't the levels they'd hope for. The franchise is still active, which is more than currently be said for Men in Black, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Robert Langdon, Underworld, Resident Evil or Jump Street.

Even with the performances of Answer the Call, Afterlife and Frozen Empire taken into consideration, Sony has shown a willingness to revisit Ghostbusters even when some industry people would probably advise them to give up on it. I appreciate Sony's willingness likely stems a lot from the company's desire to have a successful ongoing movie franchise so it can try to compete with the likes of Marvel.

Between Sony's willingness in the recent past to dip its toe back in the Ghostbusters pool, and the successes of Hasbro's HasLab projects, I believe Sony will be willing to give a fifth live action film a go because they'll have seen there's still money to be squeezed out of the franchise.

In a vacuum I don't Sony wouldn't be making another live action Ghostbusters film. However, given the disastrous performance of their spider-man spin off films, they may reevaluate how well Frozen Empire did. That said if there is another film it'll probably have a much lower budget.

[Chicken, He Clucked]

The budget was already low... I imagine they'll keep it around the $100m mark but squeeze more out of it by moving the location to eg. London and relegating the OG cast. Frozen Empire didn't meet expectations but the franchise makes money.

Podcast, Phoebe, Trevor and Lucky will be locked in and I imagine they'd want Rudd and Coon to return.

Kumail was by far the best of the newcomers to Frozen Empire. But the reaction to him, as with Acaster, Oswalt... everything else they added... was kind of poor. So if they do another movie I'd 100% like to see:

Phoebe, Podcast & Ray. They're the backbone of the franchise for me at this point.
Gary and Nadeem. Maybe Lars.

Eg. Let's say the latter 3 guys have built a friendship, Gary has family in Europe with a ghost problem - the others tag along. I'd take another swing from Gil and Jason as I liked Frozen Empire... but maybe they'd see how the tone and comedy of the cartoon pans out. Or get a fresh team in to develop.
I'd also like the movie universe to introduce Kylie as an assistant at Ray's Occult, and the RGB style containment unit following the events of Frozen Empire.

Then a handful of new characters associated with the actual plot.
You have to divide fans no matter what at this point so I'd be happy for them to continue what they're doing but the cast, tone and marketing needs to feel fresh. A third movie needs to kind of be sold as a reboot: Ghostbusters TNG. Move on from referencing the first two movies. Don't try to adapt Sam Hain or Boogieman*. I think the ice theme ultimately worked against FE and it's marketing, landing in Spring. Don't saddle the movie with such a strong theme and world ending threat* - ghostbusting is enough in itself. And my final request - more busting sequences next time.

* Sandman might actually be interesting in a live action GB because of the fresh possibilities of the "ghosts" being conjured by dreams, not responding to packs etc.
**Unless it's Lovecraftian.

[WCat2000]

Whatever storyline they use there are plenty of ghostbusters to choose from now. Good established characters. Please do not introduce new team members.

Phoebe and Gary are locked in. The other 2 can be anyone from the current cast. I’d personally use Podcast and Nadeem. Podcast is due to use the equipment and Nadeem is obviously a great fit.

However I don’t think they’d move Trevor since FE ended with him being trusted to drive the car. That’s fine. I just want to see the others included. Maybe you can mix and match depending on the situation.

[Chicken, He Clucked]

There are many directions they can take it. As a counterpoint to my post above, I could see them relegating Rudd to a short cameo to save budget, bench Kumail as his plot is over and focus on the younger cast (who will be adults and so have standard plotlines - no more Jr Ghostbusters).

With no OGB’s outside maybe a small cameo. That would give them 4x Ghostbusters and room for new supporting characters… but in terms of open plot threads, the movies have yet to explore Phoebe’s dad (although that feels like a teenager story) and a competitor team (which would have to take place in New York).

[One time]

If the OG Ghostbusters are in it, for the love of everything good, please let them talk to each other this time.

And just have scenes where Ghostbusters bust Ghosts.

Not with an RTV, or a helicopter drone trap or a model boat, or a little mini submarine. But just using a proton pack and a ghost trap.

Maybe introduce a new prop (like the Slime Blower was introduced in GB2), maybe a completely new pack that has a wand to ensnare the ghost and another wand on another arm to capture the ghost?

But keep the OG packs alongside no matter what.

Personally I don't much care for the FE packs, but that's me.

I would also prefer it if the movie is just about Ghostbusting and doesn't feature ponderings on teen angst, abandonment, lack of mastery of ego, anxiety, existential depression, psychosocial development in traumatic young adult romantic relationships, studies on masculinity/femininity, psychasthenia, social desirability, etc. I personally don't care for any of that in a Ghostbusters movie.

[d_osborn]

I would also prefer it if the movie is just about Ghostbusting and doesn't feature ponderings on teen angst, abandonment, lack of mastery of ego, anxiety, existential depression, psychosocial development in traumatic young adult romantic relationships, studies on masculinity/femininity, psychasthenia, social desirability, etc. I personally don't care for any of that in a Ghostbusters movie.

Some might also say a story about opening a new business is equally as lame, but here we are.

[Kingpin]

Some might also say a story about opening a new business is equally as lame, but here we are.

Or reflecting on past mistakes and conduct, taking the opportunity to grow emotionally in order to rekindle an old relationship, and even show signs of willingness to step into the role of being a father figure.

(That's Ghostbusters II, for those who can't read the subtext).

[Chicken, He Clucked]

Yeah, I also prefer my movies to not be about anything, and the characters to have no conflict or growth, and if it could just focus on a group of co-workers performing duties in a quiet and effective manner for 2 hours, I’d be thoroughly satisfied.

[One time]

Ghostbusters 1 (to me anyway) was about facing our common human condition (death and the remote potential of an afterlife) with pragmatism (Zeddemore), intelligence science and tools (Spengler), enthousiasm and positivity (Stantz) and humor and wit (Venkman).

But by all means, straw man it to your hearts content.

[Chicken, He Clucked]

Ghostbusters 1 (to me anyway) was about facing our common human condition (death and the remote potential of an afterlife) with pragmatism (Zeddemore), intelligence science and tools (Spengler), enthousiasm and positivity (Stantz) and humor and wit (Venkman).

But by all means, straw man it to your hearts content.

Absolutely agree, well said. It was just an easy gag to make.

In addition to the above I’ve always thought it championed male friends working together, using intelligence rather than brawn to take risks, solve a crisis, achieve success. There aren’t many IP’s with positive examples of male friendships, especially nowadays. It’s similar to watching Star Trek or TNG - having a team working together to diplomatically, philosophically, intelligently resolve a problem without inner conflict or relying on a physical superior protagonist.

I think the new movies carry that spirit albeit with more team diversity with age and gender.

[BatDan]

https://movieweb.com/ghostbusters-erni ... n-sequels/

Not much—but its something. I support this %1000

[One time]

Ghostbusters 1 (to me anyway) was about facing our common human condition (death and the remote potential of an afterlife) with pragmatism (Zeddemore), intelligence science and tools (Spengler), enthousiasm and positivity (Stantz) and humor and wit (Venkman).

But by all means, straw man it to your hearts content.

Absolutely agree, well said. It was just an easy gag to make.

In addition to the above I’ve always thought it championed male friends working together, using intelligence rather than brawn to take risks, solve a crisis, achieve success. There aren’t many IP’s with positive examples of male friendships, especially nowadays. It’s similar to watching Star Trek or TNG - having a team working together to diplomatically, philosophically, intelligently resolve a problem without inner conflict or relying on a physical superior protagonist.

I think the new movies carry that spirit albeit with more team diversity with age and gender.

Agree 100%. As for male friendships, I mean they could be male, but the masculine angle was never that important to me. It was the polar opposite character traits.

Like Ivan Reitman said, they were just friends that you wanted to hang around with. (for all I care they could be a mix of male and female. Lol just imagine if they had the insane, completely mental Holtzmann in the mix in 1984. An 84 Holtzmann, completely insane and out there, not the mildly quirky 2016 character, but an '84 version, that would have been awesome. I can just imagine a conversation between her and Dana Barrett).

More than masculine energy, it's just that they were buddies and each came from a -completely- different angle, while still being the best of friends.

I think that's why it was a genius decision by Terminal Reality to make the Rookie mute when working with the GB's in GBTVG. You experienced each GB personality personally, sometimes all together sometimes when you were paired off with one or in with two of them, being an audience to those specific character traits riffing off each other.

As for the future, the work by Nick Ross really surprised me how people were so polarized about it. I loved his Ectocism comic (and the video's). They were like a genuine GB 2.5 movie, he captured the characters so incredibly perfectly. I can't fathom how some fans were lukewarm about it.

I think all episodes would be like a 6hr movie. (and it's all free)/

[mrmichaelt]

https://movieweb.com/ghostbusters-erni ... n-sequels/

Not much—but its something. I support this %1000

I'm glad he feels that way! Over the decades, it's been tepid steps forward with the idea of other teams or starting franchises (i.e. EGB, Chicago branch in IDW, junior team in Sanctum of Slime) and it's a good time to capitalize on Peter's promise in '84, the franchise rights alone. And with someone who's now a super rich businessman, Winston could get that aspect of Ghostbusters started at last. New York can't be the only place where something strange is going as Afterlife demonstrated. The real issue is how Sony executes that. They seem to take the conservative approach of 1 movie at a time but we'll see where the animated projects go with it as well. Some of us have proposed it before, but man, a live action show with a new franchise/city/characters who could show up in the movies/comics/etc. the same way they utilized the Chicago branch would be cool.

[One time]

https://movieweb.com/ghostbusters-erni ... n-sequels/

Not much—but its something. I support this %1000

I'm glad he feels that way! Over the decades, it's been tepid steps forward with the idea of other teams or starting franchises (i.e. EGB, Chicago branch in IDW, junior team in Sanctum of Slime) and it's a good time to capitalize on Peter's promise in '84, the franchise rights alone. And with someone who's now a super rich businessman, Winston could get that aspect of Ghostbusters started at last. New York can't be the only place where something strange is going as Afterlife demonstrated. The real issue is how Sony executes that. They seem to take the conservative approach of 1 movie at a time but we'll see where the animated projects go with it as well. Some of us have proposed it before, but man, a live action show with a new franchise/city/characters who could show up in the movies/comics/etc. the same way they utilized the Chicago branch would be cool.

The Rookie was mainly with the Ghostbusters in GBTVG. It could be that Peter asks him to cleanse a posessed firehouse in Chicago on his own before he's allowed to start the franchise from there. It could be set in the 90's. Just spitballing.

[mrmichaelt]

The Rookie was mainly with the Ghostbusters in GBTVG. It could be that Peter asks him to cleanse a posessed firehouse in Chicago on his own before he's allowed to start the franchise from there. It could be set in the 90's. Just spitballing.

It would be pretty cool if they pulled existing characters and gave them the live action treatment. I remember everyone cheering when Kylie showed up in the IDW comics. But idk, they created a bunch of new characters in FE. Feels like that would continue with a spin-off. But hell, look at Star Wars, they're cherry picking characters and places from the Legends continuity and making them canon again.

[Clifton Sleigh]

Film Critics want more '84 one-off comedy focused movies

I think film critics just want generally good movies.

The average Ghostbusters fan might love Afterlife and Frozen Empire, but they are just not that well put together movies, and they feel very much like product rather than art. Not that all films should or do aspire to being "art," but it's obvious when a movie "aspires" to be a successful product.

It's similar to what has happened to Marvel's films. They started a new storyline in a direction that audiences and critics didn't care for, but the product strategy requires they stay the course until the films in production are completed and they can pivot. And the reworking of a bunch of the films and tv series in the meantime makes the edits and cuts super obvious and as a result they feel even more like soulless products.

There is also this weird attitude that is super prevalent in GB fandom that the critics have it out to get Ghostbusters movies by expecting a consistent plot structure and complete character arcs and actual jokes instead of repeating lines from previous films and treating that like a joke. What do we hope to gain by demanding less?

Yet, these same critics loved the 2016 movie, which didn't please the fans, and had them attack one of the actresses (for my part, I liked the 2016 movie, but didn't like Helmsworth's character), so who really should be pleased more? Coming up with a new bunch of characters might not work, either, especially if there's any fans of Mckenna Grace's character still around.

As I see it, a better plot has to be found, and one that has none of the older Ghostbusters in it except for
Winston (who could be like how Egon was in Extreme Ghostbusters, sending them out on assignments and running the company.) It's also time for the whole subplot with Peck to be rid of, and for the public and the government (as well as the rest of the world) to admit that ghosts exist (after the events of Frozen Empire, there should be no doubt of that, anymore, period.) Let a new plot point be that the government knows they exist, the Ghostbusters are needed, and that they're be supported and given assistance from time to time (what happened at the end of the 2016 movie.)

All this, of course, is dependent on if Coon, Rudd, Kim, Wolfhard, O'Connor and Grace want to come back for a third movie, and if Hudson's still alive.

I would also prefer it if the movie is just about Ghostbusting and doesn't feature ponderings on teen angst, abandonment, lack of mastery of ego, anxiety, existential depression, psychosocial development in traumatic young adult romantic relationships, studies on masculinity/femininity, psychasthenia, social desirability, etc. I personally don't care for any of that in a Ghostbusters movie.

As these are young people in the recent movies, and characters have to have traits in them to be human and relatable, and also (as somebody said) the movies have to get other movie goers besides the established fans to watch them, your point is in error. These movies (and any future TV shows) have to be about more than just busting ghosts.

[BatDan]

Getting rid of the GBs opposers kinda riddles out the “underdog” aspect.

Eitherway, we have 4 movies. If we never get a 5th, im pretty happy. If we do..Winston needs to get center stage like Ray did in FE. 4 movies in—i still feel like Winston was left out (even if he has a bigger “role” off screen)

Does anyone think about the chance we may get a new box set this year ?

As much as i love my Ghost Trap set..leaving out FE makes it feel incomplete now.

But yeah—anyone kinda worried?

Been kinda quiet—We got some news about the animated stuff and then it kinda fizzed out.

[mrmichaelt]

Nah, not worried about the lull in news. Animation takes a lot of time and marketing is pretty back burner right now across the industry. Hopefully by GB Day, they'll have something to say. The animated series seems the furthest along.

For live action, yeah, big role for Winston is a must. I'd dig a bigger role for Janine, too. Ghost busting montage should come back. An official soundtrack even if it's just 80/90s hits needs to come back. Need to go for broke with the big battle at the end.

[mrmichaelt]

CinemaCon starts off tomorrow with Sony. Wonder if anything GB will come up.

edit 3/31: Nothin'. Sony led with their money makers, Spider-Man and Spider-Verse.

[One time]

Here is something I've been mulling around in my head:

In the Cleaning up the Town documentary Dan Aykroyd mentions that the names "Venkman, Stantz and Spengler" are Swiss/German names.



Now, knowing that the OG actors are getting old but still massively relevant to the franchise, I thought of a previously unknown 5th potential OG Ghostbuster candidate that the OG's lost touch with. Perhaps an old university student friend of the OG's from way back.

Maybe an additional character trait apart from the 3 OG professor traits we know (Egon: The Brains, Stantz: The Heart and Venkman: The Mouth). Perhaps "The Rage", "The Compassion" or "The Veil"?

Just thinking out loud. Then I decided to look at Ghostbusters 1 type names and made a list of actual Swiss names from the same pedigree as Venkman, Stantz and Spengler (I've not worked out the provenance of the name Zeddemore, it is not Swiss/German, it may have been uniquely invented for the GB1 film).

I compiled alternate universe actual Swiss names for OG professor Ghostbusters:

Peter Venkman - Michael Hartmann
Ray Stantz - Sam Rutz
Egon Spengler - Eliad Wenger

Additional actual Swiss surnames that sound Ghostbusters 1:

Salzmann
Wyss
Stadler
Weber
Moser
Vogt
Giger
Pittet
Zingg
Kern
Zemp
Buser
Rohr

Actual real life Swiss surnames sound like they are from science fiction movies!

Yeah, this doesn't lead anywhere but I was interested in how the OG professor Ghostbusters got their names and just got lost in some research.

[mrmichaelt]

Now, knowing that the OG actors are getting old but still massively relevant to the franchise, I thought of a previously unknown 5th potential OG Ghostbuster candidate that the OG's lost touch with. Perhaps an old university student friend of the OG's from way back.

Like the 88MPH comic. Draverhaven.

[Davideverona]

I like this idea. It could give us a new character while still respecting the past. And Jim Belushi could play it.

Ps: did anyone catched something interesting from the Jason Reitman panel?