If you grew up being a lifelong fan of the Ghostbusters movies, their good and bad qualities alike, then you already know the films range in quality. But what you might not be aware of, because sadly, it has become a classic cartoon people don’t seem to talk about, is that in the 80s and 90s, we OG fans had The Real Ghostbusters to satisfy all our bustin’ cravings, and it's easily some of the best content of the franchise. Given that it's a true gem, it's exciting that the director of the Afterlife sequel, Gil Kenan, says the upcoming Frozen Empire takes heavy inspiration from the fan-favorite animated series, and now I am totally sold.
Gil Kenan, along with Frozen Empire’s producer, Jason Reitman, sat down to discuss the upcoming movie with Empire Magazine. The director revealed to the publication that he wanted to bring that same energy, more specifically, the “wild, original, and weird-as-fuck villains” the animated series was known for. The filmmaker also added:
We wanted to bring that show's looseness and fearlessness to this movie. I think it's going to surprise people just how big this film is.
Working as a quasi-sequel/reboot, the classic series continued the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore. Their secretary, Janine Melnitz, was also a key player as was their mascot, the scene-stealing ghost (and eventually, the show's title) Slimer. In addition to building on what was established in Ivan Reitman's 1984 film, the show also added to the lore.
With that in mind, this is exciting news for someone like myself who liked but didn’t love Ghostbusters: Afterlife, as it felt a bit too serious and stayed too close to the original movie's mythology. It's great to hear that the next installment is taking big swings and introducing imaginative creatures like The Real Ghostbusters did. One of my favorites was Samhain, a pumpkin-headed ghost who faced off with our beloved heroes multiple times. He was a Halloween-inspired ghost who could manipulate time to cause eternal night. Samhain was indeed "wild, original, and weird as fuck," and I couldn’t be more hyped to see that level of strangeness brought to the silver screen.
While plot specifics are still relatively secret, the synopsis of the upcoming sequel teases the rise of an ancient force that causes old and new Ghostbusters to join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age. So, of course, this means we're in for a treat because the original team is set to return, sadly minus two, considering the death of Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis’ retirement from acting. While we won’t see the latter's Louis Tully suiting up again, it was revealed that Janine will be suiting up for the first time.
Suppose you’re a longtime fan of The Real Ghostbusters. It's time to rejoice. If you’ve seen the Frozen Empire trailer, you know that though the sequel brings the team back to NYC, the icy setting and spooky villains teased give serious animated series vibes. Who is that mysterious horned beast lurking in the mist as the ice spreads across the city? I, for one, can't wait to find out, especially after learning of the cartoon's influence on the tale!
Mark your calendars to catch the team in their biggest adventure yet when Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, one of many upcoming horror movies, chills audiences to the core when it hits theaters on March 22 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
