Ghostbusters: Afterlife Sequel To Be Directed By Gil Kenan

After reviving the franchise his father Ivan Reitman began in the 1980s, Jason Reitman is set to hand off the reigns to the next "Ghostbusters" sequel according to Deadline. The filmmaker will reportedly take on a writer-producer role in the follow-up to last year's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," while Gil Kenan is headed for the director's seat in addition to co-penning the script with Reitman. The core cast of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," which included Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, is also set to return for the new film according to the outlet.

Kenan, whose directorial credits include 2015's "Poltergeist" and the family film "Monster House," is no stranger to the franchise. He co-wrote the script for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with Reitman and executive produced that film as well. In a statement shared by Deadline, he spoke about taking over as director, saying:

"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. 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."

While "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" wasn't the same level of a smash hit as the 1984 original, few movies are. The nostalgic legacy sequel, which saw a delayed release date multiple times due to the pandemic, ultimately earned around $204 million at the global box office against a production budget that Variety reported topped out at around $75 million. This was apparently an impressive enough haul to garner another sequel, one that Deadline says may return to the original films' New York location.

"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" also starred Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace, both of whom played the grandchildren of original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). The rest of the original ghost-fighting crew, played by returning cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson, all made an appearance at the climax of the 2021 film, although it's unclear as of publication time if the OG Ghostbusters will pop up again in the next sequel.

Jason Reitman also shared a statement with Deadline about Gil Kenan taking on the director position, saying, "A few years ago, my father handed me the keys to Ecto-1 and together we made 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife.'" The filmmaker went on to express his gratefulness for the chance to make the movie with Ivan Reitman, who passed away earlier this year. Reitman continued, "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."

The upcoming "Ghostbusters" sequel does not yet have a release date.