Ghosts are returning next Christmas for the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel as it gets a release date of December 20th, 2023. Jason Reitman, the son of the original film’s director, will return to direct the 2023 film.
The only known plot detail will be that it will be going back to the big city after the 2021 film took the franchise to a small town in Oklahoma, with the cast going to Manhattan to return to the original ghostbusting base, the firehouse.
“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.” –@JasonReitman, @GilKenan #GhostbustersDay pic.twitter.com/P3QRild2Vs
— Ghostbusters (@Ghostbusters) June 9, 2022
Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel release date set right before Christmas 2023
The franchise started in 1984 with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis also starred. The film grossed $229 million of its $30 million budget. It became a classic and spawned a family-friendlier sequel in 1989. With a lower budget of $25 million, it faired well by earning $215 million at the box office.
A revival came in 2016 with a woman-led take that starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Chris Hemsworth also starred in the film. The bloated budget of modern blockbusters hurt the film as it grossed $229 million with a $144 million budget. It was not until last year when Jason Reitman paid homage to his father’s work, Ivan Reitman, with his twist with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which succeeded enough for a sequel after raking in $204 million off its $75 million budget. The film starred Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), Celeste O’Connor (Freaky), and making his feature-length debut, Logan Kim.
Ivan Reitman died peacefully in his sleep earlier this year. He was 75. His best-known work outside Ghostbusters was National Lampoon’s Animal House, Stripes, Kindergarten Cop, Twins, and Meatballs.
The Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel release date is the only solid thing we know. The film has no official title, and while Reitman returns to direct, there is no confirmation of how much of the cast will return.
