The Future of the Ghostbusters Franchise

On the June 9, 2022 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor Ben Pearson is joined by /Film editor Brad Oman to talk about the future of the “Ghostbusters” franchise. Opening Banter: At something called Ghostbusters Ecto-Fest, the following announcements were made. In The News: Animated Feature FilmSony Pictures Animation is in development with Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan on an animated feature film based on the Ghostbusters IP. The creative team behind the project includes directors Chris Prynoski (executive producer, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe) and Jennifer Kluska (Hotel Transylvania: Transformania), and writer Brenda Hsueh (supervising producer, Disjointed). The film is part of the expanding Ghostbusters universe, which began with Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters in 1984 and has since become a mega-pop culture phenomenon culminating in last year's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Ghostbusters: Afterlife SequelReitman and Kenan will confirm what the end credits of Ghostbusters: Afterlife hinted at - that the live action sequel will return to the original films’ New York City and Firehouse setting. Ghostbusters VR AcademySony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR), in association with Ghost Corps, will announce Ghostbusters VR Academy, a new, fully immersive training simulator broken up into two distinct games, set in the world of Ghostbusters. Published by SPVR and developed by HOLOGATE, the worldwide leader in compact location-based virtual reality entertainment, Ghostbusters VR Academy will be available globally for HOLOGATE’s ARENA and BLITZ platforms at over 400 locations by the end of 2022. Ghostbusters Comic Book Series By Dark HorseAcclaimed comic book company Dark Horse Comics will work with Reitman and Kenan on a Ghostbusters comic book series that will help bridge the gap between Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the upcoming sequel. Hasbro Ivan Reitman FigurinesHasbro will present two Ivan Reitman figurines as part of the Ghostbusters Day festivities on the lot. One of them will be given to Ghost Corp so that it can remain permanently on display in their office and the second figurine will be given to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles to be auctioned off for a fundraising event. Both figurines will be in special boxes and have certificates of authenticity. Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix’s Animated SeriesEarlier today, it was announced that Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix are in development on an all-new animated series based on the beloved Ghostbusters IP, which will be streamed exclusively on Netflix. Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan are attached to the series as Executive Producers. Also mentioned: All the other stuff you need to know: You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes. /Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and television as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com. You can subscribe to /Film Daily on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the popular podcast apps (RSS). Send your feedback, questions, comments and concerns to us at peter@slashfilm.com. Please leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention the e-mail on the air. Please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, tell your friends and spread the word! Thanks to Sam Hume for our logo. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Liquid IV and use my code FILMWEEKLY for a great deal: https://www.liquid-iv.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy