What is the Ghostbusters 4 release date? After more than thirty years, the original Ghostbusters are back in the new comedy movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The question now is, was this the last gasp of a franchise destined for the containment unit or is it full of life?
Well, Afterlife director Jason Reitman has made it clear he wants to see the series continue beyond his movie. “I think it’s no secret that my father and I would love Ghostbusters mythology to keep growing from Afterlife,” he told The Digital Fix when we asked about a sequel. “We wanted to make a movie that would set the table for all kinds of Ghostbusters films.”
Unfortunately, when we pressed him on it, he couldn’t tell us any specifics. “I don’t know what they are, and I can’t tell you what they are,” he explained. That said, it’s interesting to speculate where the franchise might go after Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s ending. It certainly teased that the boys in grey weren’t done just yet. So here’s everything we know about the Ghostbusters 4 release date. Also, yes, we know that technically Afterlife is the fourth movie in the franchise, but Reitman’s continuation doesn’t count Ghostbusters (2016) as part of the mainline story.
Ghostbusters 4 release date
Ghostbusters 4 will hit cinemas on December 20, 2023. The film was officially announced at CinemaCon 2022 but was heavily teased at the end of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
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The film began shooting on March 20, with Sony tweeting a picture of Jason Reitman on set to celebrate. According to Ernie Hudson (via Zavvi), the Ghostbusters sequel is filming in the UK.
Back in the Firehouse. Day one! #Ghostbusters pic.twitter.com/5OE4aF1slO
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) March 20, 2023
“Even though we haven’t totally signed everything yet, I understand that it’s happening, and it will be in your neighbourhood,” Hudson explained. “Which is exciting. I’ve never actually worked in the UK before. It’s coming up very, very quickly.”
Ghostbusters 4 plot
Well, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife post-credit scene definitely set up a sequel. What form it takes, though, we couldn’t say with any certainty, and when we asked Reitman, he didn’t tell us.
He did, however, say that “every culture has a relationship with the supernatural”. It’s possible with the money we’re told Zeddemore made in finance after leaving the Ghostbusters, he sets up a new office and maybe even franchises it out. Perhaps we could see new Ghostbusters offices opening around the world?
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A recent tweet from the Ghostbusters official account confirmed the sequel would be the “next chapter in the Spengler family story”, which seems to confirm the next film will focus on Phoebe, Trevor, and the rest of the new generation.
That said, we’ve already had them battle the Ghostbuster’s old enemy Gozer, so maybe next time, they should face a new enemy. Just keep them away from talking paintings, please.
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We also know that the film will pick up in New York City, where we last saw Zeddemore driving the Ecto-1. So presumably, we’re swapping rural Oklahoma for the concrete jungle?
Jason Reitman has dropped one other tease. In an interview with Uproxx, he said there were story beats introduced in Afterlife that didn’t pay off but could potentially inform a sequel.
“I wish I could talk to you about that [Egon deciding to repaint the Ghostbusters II logo on the Ecto-1]. Well, I’m just saying that’s a plot that is not in this film, and we have ideas moving forward,” he said.
Ghostbusters 4 cast
Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, and Carrie Coon are all set to return as the Spengler family, and they’re not the only familiar face returning for the sequel. Paul Rudd will take a break from saving the Marvel Cinematic Universe to bust some ghosts as well.
We’re not sure how many members of the original Ghostbusters will suit up again, and we’re sceptical they’ll all be back. Afterlife clearly sets up Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore as the Ghostbuster’s new benefactor, and we know he’s returning, but we don’t know about the rest just yet. We know that Dan Ackroyd’s Ray Stantz is still in New York working at his occult book shop, so he could come back.
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Bill Murray, on the other hand, is the odd man out. Murray’s been notoriously cagey in the past about wanting to return to the Ghostbusters franchise. While he did come back for Afterlife, and he may return if he likes the script, we wouldn’t be surprised if that was the last we saw of Peter Venkman.
On March 24, 2023 it was announced that Kumail Nanjiani, American comedian Patton Oswalt, British comedian James Acaster and Emily Alyn Lind have all been added to the Ghostbusters 4 cast.
Who’s in the Ghostbusters 4 cast?
- Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spengler
- Mckenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler
- Celeste O’Connor as Lucky Domingo
- Carrie Coon as Callie Spengler
- Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson
- Ernie Hudson as Dr Winston Zeddemore
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Patton Oswalt
- James Acaster
- Emily Alyn Lind
The film will be directed by Gil Kenan, who helped write Ghostbusters: Afterlife while Jason Reitman will produce.
If you want to read more about the team who put the ‘go in ghosts’, check out our interview with Jason Reitman or our Ghostbusters Afterlife review.
We have guides on the best scary movies for kids, the best vampire movies, and the best werewolf movies. If that’s not enough, we also have an article breaking down all the new movies coming in 2023, including Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Scream 6.
