Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Release Date, Cast, Plot, Teaser Trailer And More Details
"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" follows a family of three who move into an inherited home in the isolated countryside of Oklahoma. However, things don't stay peaceful for very long, as they soon discover their family's legacy of being Ghostbusters. As a result, they're forced into the precarious situation of having to save their small town — and the world, by extension.
Directed by Jason Reitman — whose father, Ivan, brought the two 1980s "Ghostbusters" movies to the big screen — and starring Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace, "Afterlife" debuted at the end of 2021. While a surge of a COVID-19 variant likely damaged some of its box office potential, the film still pulled in nearly $200 million in ticket sales worldwide. The film also received a warm welcome from critics and fans, boasting a fresh rating from each group on Rotten Tomatoes. All around, the film seemed to be a solid win for Sony Pictures, and a few months after "Afterlife" hit theaters, Sony announced that a sequel was on the way. Here's everything we know so far about the follow-up, titled "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."
When will Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire be released?
Who you gonna call ... to get release date information about the "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?" Well, hey, we've got your answer so give us a ring. The spooky sequel was originally meant to hit theaters on December 25, 2023. However, due to the combined might of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Sony Pictures reshuffled their release slate and pushed back a bunch of films. Now, we'll see our young heroes doing battle with otherworldly foes on March 29, 2024.
Fortunately, this release date seems solid. The strikes are over now, and filming on the "Ghostbusters" sequel finished in June 2023. As for the box office that month, March 2024 is full of major blockbuster titles and impressive genre pictures, such as "Dune: Part Two" and Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17," so the "Ghostbusters" movie looks to be in good company.
What is the plot of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
While "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" took place in rural Oklahoma, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is heading back to the Big Apple. After all, the original two movies in the franchise went down in New York City, and this time around, the Spengler family must reunite with the OG Ghostbusters — Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore — along with some new experts and allies to stop a ghostly new threat.
In the iconic firehouse turned ghostbusting headquarters, the old crew has set up a state-of-the-art spirit research facility to develop sophisticated anti-supernatural technology. And they're going to need all of it, along with the help of Egon Spengler's young family, to stop a cataclysmic event. A mysterious ancient relic has been located and activated, sending a presence called "The Death Chill" out into the world. This otherworldly presence is freezing over New York and icing people to death, threatening a new Ice Age if the Ghostbusters don't get busy busting.
Who is starring in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
If you loved the cast of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," don't fear — they're all coming back. Carrie Coon will once more portray Callie Spengler (daughter of original ghostbuster Egon Spengler), and Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace are set to reprise their roles as her children, Trevor and Phoebe, respectively. Paul Rudd will be back as paranormal-interested teacher Gary Grooberson, along with Logan Kim as Podcast.
But as the story expands and moves to New York, some familiar faces will round out the cast to play new characters. British comedian James Acaster ("Repertoire") will be a part of "Frozen Empire," as will comic and "Eternals" star Kumail Nanjiani and Emmy-winning stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt. Emily Alyn Lind of Max's "Gossip Girl" reboot will appear too. The big news for big "Ghostbusters" fans, however, is that original stars Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson will once more bust some ghosts as their characters Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore, respectively. Better still, Annie Potts will return as everybody's favorite sarcastic receptionist Janine Melnitz.
Who is directing and writing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
Ivan Reitman directed the original "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters II" in the 1980s and then served as a producer on the 2021 franchise restarting "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." Shepherding the property, Reitman left "Ghostbusters" in the hands of his son, Jason Reitman, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker behind "Juno" and "Up in the Air."
The younger Reitman, who both directed and co-wrote the newer "Ghostbusters" film, will similarly retreat to a producer role on "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Reitman helped write the screenplay for both new "Ghostbusters" movies with Gil Kenan, who will take on directorial duties for "Frozen Empire." In addition to directing the family holiday fantasy "A Boy Called Christmas" as well as the young adult dystopian adaptation "City of Ember," Kenan has some experience updating and revamping older properties. He helmed the 2015 "Poltergeist" remake and also directed an episode of "Scream: The TV Series."
Is there a trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
On November 8, 2023, Sony released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming sequel to "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." The clip package also announced the official title of the spring 2024 release: "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." After a lengthy montage of clips establishing the setting of New York City in the midst of a sweltering, sticky-hot summer (set ominously to Bananarama's "Cruel Summer"), the supernatural menace arrives. Something zooms up from the ocean, sprawling onto the beaches and sending people running in terror as a windy, chilling mist envelops the city entirely in ice — all the way up to the iconic "Ghostbusters" firehouse from the original "Ghostbusters" movies.
From there, the trailer for "Frozen Empire" explains the very high stakes of its plot while reuniting the casts of the '80s-era films with the younger "Afterlife" heroes and some new faces as they learn about "The Death Chill." Over footage of what this ghostly evil can do, like animate statues and shoot razor-sharp giant icicles, viewers and Ghostbusters alike learn that this new threat will continue to freeze New Yorkers to death unless it can be captured with some cool new proton packs.