The ’80s are a beacon of nostalgia, from the music and video games to television and movies. The era brought us Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, numerous John Hughes romps, and Ghostbusters. From the librarian’s terrified scream and the film’s unforgettable theme music, Ghostbusters grabs you in its Proton Pack stream and doesn’t let go. The eccentric and hysterical performances from stars Bill Murray, Harold Ramis (R.I.P.), and Dan Aykroyd perfectly complement straight man Ernie Hudson. Writing duo Aykroyd and Ramis’ script and Ivan Reitman’s direction seamlessly blend laughs with some genuinely creepy scares and effects that still hold up nearly forty years later.

Update August 2, 2023: This article has been updated following the recent delay of the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel.

The movie spawned a mini-empire of toys, lunchboxes, an animated series, and anything you could slap the iconic logo on. And, of course, a (underappreciated) sequel, Ghostbusters II, in 1989. And then, for nearly 30 years, nothing. No neatly wrapped franchise, just 2/3 of a trilogy and years of rumors of Ghostbusters III. In 2016 Sony released the female-led reboot Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. But it just wasn’t the same as closing it out with the original crew. In 2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife looked to continue on the original story where the descendants of Egon take over the busting duties, and audiences got to see the remaining Ghostbusters reunite. A sequel is currently in development, and while there is no official title yet, the film is coming soon, so here is a breakdown of everything that is known.

The Plot
Sony Pictures Releasing

Despite filming wrapping in June 2023, fans still don’t know much about the plot of the film besides the bare bones. The brush, cornfields, and small town strip of Summerville, OK, will be traded in for the setting of the original two films, New York City. The beloved Ghostbusters converted firehouse is also said to be the base of operations for the sequel.

With Gozer blasted back to another dimension in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it’s a safe bet that that portal is closed for good. It wrapped up the original lore of Ghostbusters nicely, tying up loose ends like the madman architect behind Dana Barrett’s “spook central” apartment building as well as Egon’s own story.

Related: The Coolest Ghosts From the Ghostbusters Franchise, Ranked

Is there any chance of revisiting Vigo, the painting-trapped bogeyman from Ghostbusters II? Possibly, though, it would be a little too lazily formulaic to once again pit the new Ghostbusters up against a ghoul from the original team’s past. Maybe a reference or two to Vigo would fit nicely. History is likely rich with scary people upon which the next antagonist and story could be based, so there’s no shortage of inspiration for the writing team of the sequel.

The Cast and Crew
Columbia Pictures

Good news for fans of the first one, as it was confirmed in late 2022 that the core cast of Ghostbusters: Afterlife would be returning for the sequel. This includes Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and McKenna Grace. The new gang is excellent in Afterlife, particularly McKenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale) as the inquisitive, brilliant Phoebe Spengler. Carrie Coon takes the struggling single mom role to new and more interesting levels as Callie Spengler. Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) plays Trevor Spengler. And Paul Rudd is just Paul Rudd, which is to say terrific. In addition, Logan Kim will reprise his role as Phoebe’s friend Podcast, while Celeste O’Connor will return as Lucky Domingo, the love interest of Trevor.

But the good news doesn’t stop there, as original stars Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts are once again set to reprise their rolls as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, and Janine Melnitz, respectively. Meanwhile, William Atherton is set to return as Walter Peck, a character who hasn’t been seen since the 1984 original. An inspector for the Environmental Protection Agency, Peck is an over-zealous busybody who made things difficult for the Ghostbusters in their first appearance. It will be interesting to see what he brings to this new installment and if he’s changed his ways at all.

Related: Ghostbusters: How the Opening Scene Came to Be

Joining the cast are newcomers Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt, alongside British comedian James Acaster, Full House alumnus Miko Hughes, and The Babysitter actress Emily Alyn Lind, all of whom are playing so far undisclosed roles. As great as it is to have some of the series stalwarts back, it’s also good to see some fresh talent added to the cast, all of whom will (hopefully) bring their own unique styles.

Crew-wise, one notable change in the living among the dead of the Afterlife sequel is director Jason Reitman, who instead be taking a co-writing and producing credit. Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writer Gil Kenan will step into the director’s chair. In a Deadline piece, Reitman said:

“A few years ago, my father handed me the keys to Ecto-1, and together we made Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Words will never express how grateful I am to have made a film with my father by my side. It’s now time to hand those keys to my creative partner and fellow Ghostbuster Gil Kenan, a brilliant director who will keep the Spengler spirit alive. I can only hope to provide him the same producorial care and support that my father showed me.

Gil Kenan is no stranger to the supernatural and things that make you scream, having previously directed Monster House and 2015’s remake of Poltergeist, as well as episodes of the horror TV series, Scream. He has also tried his hand at family films, with the 2008 adventure film City of Ember and 2021’s A Boy Called Christmas. The fact that he can do both supernatural horror and family-friendly material means that, on paper, Gil Kenan is the ideal person to direct a Ghostbusters film. Kenan said in the same Deadline interview.

“It’s an absolute honor to pick up the proton pack and step behind the camera for the next chapter of the Spengler family saga,” said Kenan. “I just wish I could go back to 1984 and tell the kid in the sixth row of the Mann Valley West that one day he was going to get to direct a Ghostbusters film.”

Whether he can pull it off remains to be seen, but it’s at least good to know that another Ghostbusters fan will be calling the shots on this sequel. The franchise hopefully will continue to grow.

Release Date
Sony

The arrival of the sequel was previously slated for December 20, 2023, a pretty quick turnaround considering the release of the first film and how quickly the news was announced. However, due to the recent 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which, at the time of writing, is yet to be resolved, Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 is now instead, scheduled to be released in theaters on March 29, 2024. It takes the spot Sony originally held for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which was taken off the release schedule entirely.

This will, no doubt, be disappointing news for fans of the franchise. However, an extra few months of post-production could be a good thing for the film. It now also means the film will hit theaters in time for the 40th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters.

Only time will tell whether it ends up being worth the wait. Ghostbusters: Afterlife honorably carried on the tradition of the original two films, taking the fight against ill-willed spirits from the sprawling city streets to bumpy backroads. It took risks and delivered a worthy follow-up to its predecessors, even if we had to wait 30 years.