Ghostbusters 3

For most of the 2000s and early 2010s, fans used "Ghostbusters 3" as shorthand for a long-rumored third film that would directly follow Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II. That straight sequel never reached the screen in the form fans had imagined. The Ghostbusters film that did go into production after years of stalled development was a full reboot directed by Paul Feig, released by Columbia Pictures in July 2016.¹ Marketed simply as Ghostbusters, it is also known by the on-disc title Ghostbusters: Answer the Call to set it apart from the original. It tells a self-contained story with an all-new team of paranormal investigators and is not a continuation of the earlier continuity.

This page documents the 2016 film. The separate fan speculation about a canonical third sequel that would continue the original cast's story is covered in our Ghostbusters 3 FAQ and the Ghostbusters III page.

Production and credits

Paul Feig directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Katie Dippold. Ivan Reitman, director of the first two films, produced alongside Amy Pascal. Theodore Shapiro composed the score, and Robert Yeoman handled cinematography. Brent White and Melissa Bretherton edited the picture, which was produced under the Village Roadshow Pictures and Ghost Corps banners and released through Columbia Pictures.¹

The film ran 116 minutes, was made on a budget of $144 million, and grossed $229.1 million worldwide.²³ It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on July 9, 2016, and went into wide release in the United States on July 15, 2016.

The principal cast included Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as the four lead investigators, with Chris Hemsworth as their receptionist Kevin Beckman, and Charles Dance and Michael Kenneth Williams in supporting roles.