Ghostbusters: Afterlife: Release Date, Trailer, And More

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Since Ghostbusters: Answer the Call didn't kick off a whole new franchise as Sony Pictures hoped, the studio is digging back into the original Ghostbusters franchise with a new sequel that picks up roughly 30 years after the events of Ghostbusters II. This time, director Ivan Reitman is handing the reins off to his son, filmmaker Jason Reitman, and the story focuses on the estranged family of one of the original Ghostbusters. Below, find out the Ghostbusters: Afterlife release date and everything else we know about the movie so far.

Originally intended for release in the summer of 2020, Sony Pictures pushed back Ghostbusters: Afterlife to a March 2021 release date. However, since it seemed like the (dogs and cats, living together!) mass hysteria of the pandemic wouldn't be cleared up enough for theaters to provide a lucrative wide release, it was pushed to June 2021. And then it was pushed again. The current release date for Ghostbusters: Afterlife is November 11, 2021, but it will only be released in theaters on that date, and there are no plans for a simultaneous streaming or VOD release.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the latest installment of the Ghostbusters franchise. It is the third installment in the primary Ghostbusters film series and will have narrative ties to both the original Ghostbusters from 1984 and Ghostbusters II from 1989. As far as we know, it will not share any links to Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, which exists in a completely different universe.

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the story picks up roughly 30 years after the events of Ghostbusters II. Instead of unfolding in New York City, the sequel finds a single mother and her teenage son and adolescent daughter moving into a rundown farmhouse in the small town of Summerville, Oklahoma. The kids learn about the legacy of the Ghostbusters and find their old bustin' equipment just as some strange things start happening around the neighborhood (including Mini Stay Puft Marshmallow Men coming to life). It's up to a new generation of Ghostbusters, and probably some familiar faces, to save the day.

Here's the official synopsis for Ghostbusters: Afterlife:

From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is directed by Jason Reitman, who previously helmed acclaimed films such as Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, Young Adult, and The Front Runner. He's also the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, who is producing Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The script comes from Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, director of Monster House, City of Ember and the Poltergeist remake.

During an interview, Jason Reitman recalled the pride he felt when his father finally saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife in a theater. The filmmaker said, "My father hasn't been leaving the house much because of COVID. But he took a test, put on a mask, and drove down to the Sony lot to watch the movie with the studio. And after, he cried, and he said, 'I'm so proud to be your father.' And it was one of the great moments of my life."

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Carrie Coon plays single mother Callie, who is moving her son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) to Summerville, Oklahoma, where quite an adventure awaits them. Other additions to the Ghostbusters franchise cast include Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Anchorman, I Love You, Man) as schoolteacher Mr. Grooberson and young newcomer Logan Kim as a new friend of Phoebe's in Summerville.

Returning cast members from the original Ghostbusters franchise include Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts, all reprising their characters from the first two films. Unfortunately, Harold Ramis will not be returning as Egon Spengler since the actor and filmmaker passed away in 2014. However, there have been hints that the family at the center of the story belong to his character. There have also been rumblings that Rick Moranis may make an appearance, but there has yet to be any official confirmation.