An originalGhostbustersstar gave his blunt response on returning for future movies, after the underwhelming release ofFrozen Empire.The supernatural comedy, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson, first premiered in 1984 and became rooted in popular culture, successfullybuilding a franchise that includes various sequels, video games, and more. Unfortunately, recent films,Ghostbusters:AfterlifeandFrozen Empire, maintained lower box office numbers, and the latter generated largely disparate reactions, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 42%.
During an interview with theNew York Post, Aykroyd, who portrayed Ray Stantz inGhostbustersandco-wrote the original films with Ramis,revealed that he does not anticipate making another appearance in the franchise.Aykroyd then explained thatGhostbusterswill likely continue following the latest iteration of paranormal investigators. Read his comments below:
I don’t see that coming. I don’t see where they would need us to carry it on. They’ve got a whole new cast, and they’ve got whole new ideas. I think probably they’re going to move on to advancing it beyond the originals, which they should.
What This Means For The Ghostbusters Franchise
There Will Be More Development For The Spenglers
The Spenglers, played by Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace, have taken over the Ghostbusters mantle, along with science teacher-turned-love interest Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd).Ghostbusters:Afterlifemainly centered on them and their discovery of Egon Spengler’s home in Summerville, but they also interacted with Ray and other original characters, Peter Venkman (Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Hudson), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts).Such appearances inGhostbusters:Afterlifeworked because they were brief,and the dramatic showdown against Gozer allowed many of them to see Egon (initially portrayed by the late Ramis) one last time.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Creates A Cast Problem A Sequel Won’t Be Able To Ignore
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire introduced a lot of new characters, but this could lead to a huge problem in a potential Ghostbusters sequel.
2024’sGhostbusters: Frozen Empirealso followed the Spenglers, who sought to prevent Garraka from unleashing captured spirits and freezing the world, and featured the original characters in a larger capacity.The issue was thatFrozen Empireincorporated too many peopleand spent less time on the Spenglers together, breaking everyone up for most of the film. Focusing almost entirely on Phoebe (Grace) and her family, and further developing them, could lead to some exciting adventures infutureGhostbustersinstallments, as they learn to tackle supernatural threats on their own.
Joining the Spenglers and Gary as new additions to theGhostbustersfranchise are Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim).
Our Take On The Absence Of OG Ghostbusters
It Could Be Good For Franchise Longevity
Moving in another direction could be good for the franchise, especially as it continues, and would help in finding its footing. It would also establish the Spenglers as the next generation, capable of continuing the Ghostbusters' services, instead of just pairing them with original crew members. With sequels on the way and more new faces likely to be added down the line, it only makes sense for Ray and others to appear inGhostbustersless, and Aykroyd’s support of that decision should reassure longtime fans.
Source:New York Post
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a multimedia franchise created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The first two films were released in the ’80s, but Ghostbusters III got stuck in development hell for years. Nearly 30 years after Ghostbusters II hit theaters, a reboot starring female Ghostbusters was released, followed by another reboot/sequel in 2021 titled Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The popular characters have also appeared in several video games and animated TV shows since the franchise’s creation in 1984.
