Several classic franchises are getting new installments this year, with Evil Dead Rise and Scream VI returning to bring terror once again. Just in the first three months of 2023 alone, moviegoers have been bombarded with announcements regarding the variety of films coming their way in the coming months. And on the comedic side of the horror genre, the Ghostbusters will also return, serving as the fifth installment of the timeless 1984 film starring Bill Murray as the cynical ghostbuster, Dr. Peter Venkman. To fuel fans excitement and anticipation, Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming sequel, posing at the iconic Ghostbusters firehouse set alongside the franchise's newest director, Gil Kenan.
Following the success of Ghostbusters: Afterlife—which starred Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace—the still-untitled sequel to the 2021 flick has moved forward with its production, with Kenan sitting in the director's chair. Reitman—whose father, Ivan Reitman, directed the first two Ghostbusters installments—will be producing and co-writing the forthcoming sequel. The new image shared by Reitman via his Instagram account doesn't give anything about the new feature, aside from the New York-based Firehouse set that has long been synonymous with the franchise. Though no further details about the new film have been revealed, the image suggests that the sequel—which is under the working title "Firehouse"—will return to the original Ghostbusters headquarters.
In 2021, Ghostbusters: Afterlife introduced the newest generation of Ghostbusters cast members to the world, including Egon Spengler's (played by Harold Ramis) daughter, Callie (Carrie Coon). A single mother, Callie, along with her two children, Trevor (Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Grace), moved to a new town to start a new life. But what starts as just a normal move to a new place, they soon discover that they are connected by blood with the original Ghostbusters member, Egon. Apart from the new stars, Afterlife also brought back some familiar faces from the franchise's earlier outings, including Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett, and Murray as Peter Venkman. A nostalgia-filled feature has been hit or miss over the years, but bringing back the past members seems to have worked with Afterlife, having received favorable reviews from critics and audiences.
Oklahoma served as the setting for Afterlife. While there are limited plot details about the upcoming sequel, Reitman's new photo teases that the film will return to the Big Apple. In addition, Kenan previously shared a photo of himself standing in front of the actual New York Hook & Ladder Company 8 firehouse that served as the original Ghostbusters headquarters. So with the first Afterlife film offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane, we can expect the sequel to be no different—and possibly even more so.
The sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife is set to be released around December of this year. While waiting, you can check out Reitman's post below.