A new animation Ghostbusters the film is in the works at Netflix. THE the franchise expanded in early 2024 with the live-action theatrical release Ghostbusters: Frozen Empirewhich saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson reprising their roles from the original film. A Netflix Ghostbusters the show is already in development at Netflix and is separate from the animated film project. Elliot Kalan is the showrunner for the animated series in development, while Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan are executive producers.
Deadline now confirmed Sony Animation and Netflix are working on a Ghostbusters animated filmwith Kris Pearn attached to direct. Pearn previously directed the Sony film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and the Netflix animated film The Willoughbysthe latter of which has an impressive 92% Tomatometer score. Netflix animation Ghostbusters The film is still in the early stages of development and plot details are being kept under wraps.
What This Means for Ghostbusters
The franchise is focused on animation and streaming
A lively Ghostbusters The film in development at Netflix confirms the franchise's ambitious plans to expand beyond the theatrical scene. While there was the lively The real ghostbusters series that aired between 1986-1991, the Ghostbusters franchise was primarily based on theatrical filmsvarying from the 1984 original Ghostbusters to Frozen Empire. Despite Frozen EmpireAfter the film's strong box office opening, its final numbers proved to be a disappointment, grossing just $202 million worldwide against a $100 million budget (via The Numbers).
Diversifying the franchise's offerings via streaming, both with an animated series and now also with an animated film, is apparently the new approach. The focus on streaming and animation are attempts to reinvigorate the franchise with a new creative approach and a new means of accessibility. Like some Netflix movies, the lively Ghostbusters the film may initially have a limited theatrical release before becoming exclusive to the streaming platform, but the franchise's overall pivot is still heading towards streaming.
Our opinion on the Ghostbusters animated film
It could be the change the franchise needs
Since the release of the original in 1984, none of the Ghostbusters the films managed to do justice to the story that started it all. A film and an animated series could be the creative change the franchise needs to move forward. Animation feels inherently different from live-action films and can take the pressure off introducing legacy characters and elements that audiences have come to expect from the first film. Ghostbusters. Frozen EmpireThe middling box office performance proved that a different approach needed to be takenn, and this excited Ghostbusters film could be part of an effective new approach.
Source: Deadline, The Numbers