A new animatedGhostbustersmovie is in the works at Netflix. Thefranchise expanded earlier in 2024 with the theatrical release of the live-actionGhosbusters: Frozen Empire, which saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson reprising their roles from the original film. ANetflixGhostbustersshowis already in development at Netflix and is separate from the animated film project. Elliot Kalan is the showrunner of the developing animated series, while Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan are executive producers.
Deadlinehas now confirmedSony Animation and Netflix are working on aGhostbustersanimated movie, with Kris Pearn attached to direct. Pearn previously directed Sony’sCloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2and the Netflix animated movieThe Willoughbys, the latter of which has an impressive 92% Tomatometer score. Netflix’s animatedGhostbustersmovie is still in the early stages of development and plot details are being kept under wraps.
What This Means For Ghostbusters
The Franchise Is Pivoting Toward Animation And Streaming
An animatedGhostbustersmovie being developed at Netflix confirms the franchise’s ambitious plans to expand beyond the theatrical landscape. While there was the animatedThe Real Ghostbustersseries that aired from 1986-1991,theGhostbustersfranchise has been primarily based on theatrical movies, ranging from 1984’s originalGhostbusterstoFrozen Empire. DespiteFrozen Empire’s strong box office opening, its final numbers proved to be a disappointment, only grossing $202 million worldwide against a $100 million budget (viaThe Numbers).
10 Coolest Ghosts From The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters had many memorable ghostly villains, from demonic entities of incomprehensible power to lovable rapscallion specters.
Diversifying the franchise’s offerings via streaming, with both an animated series and now an animated movie as well, is seemingly the new approach. The focus on streaming and animation are attempts to reinvigorate the franchise with a new creative approach and a new means of accessibility. Like some Netflix movies,the animatedGhostbustersmovie may initially have a limited theatrical releasebefore becoming exclusive to the streaming platform, but the franchise’s overall pivot is still moving toward streaming.
Our Take On Ghosbusters' Animated Movie
It May Be The Change The Franchise Needs
Since the original’s release in 1984, none oftheGhostbustersmovieshave managed to live up to the story that started it all. An animated movie and series may be the creative change that the franchise needs to continue moving forward. Animation inherently feels different from the live-action movies and may take away the pressure of featuring legacy characters and elements that audiences have come to expect from the firstGhostbusters.Frozen Empire’s middling box office performance proved that a different approach needed to be taken, and this animatedGhostbustersmovie could be part of an effective new approach.
Source:Deadline,The Numbers
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a multimedia franchise created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The first two films were released in the ’80s, but Ghostbusters III got stuck in development hell for years. Nearly 30 years after Ghostbusters II hit theaters, a reboot starring female Ghostbusters was released, followed by another reboot/sequel in 2021 titled Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The popular characters have also appeared in several video games and animated TV shows since the franchise’s creation in 1984.
