Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 Just Found Its Director
The Reitman family is passing over the reins of the Ghostbusters franchise again, with Deadline breaking the news that Monster House director Gil Kenan is set to helm Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2. This will mark the second time in the now 5-film series that a non-Reitman will be sitting in the director’s chair, with Ivan Reitman originating the comedy features via the first two films and his son, Jason Reitman, picking up for the continuation story in 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Kenan will have some big shoes to fill and a large audience to please, with his work on the sequel following the only other non-Reitman film, Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot, not being a massive hit among viewers.
The update comes following a lull in Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 news and marks one giant step forward for the highly anticipated production. Although he isn’t standing behind the Sony Pictures flick, Jason Reitman will still be involved as a producer and co-writer, having penned the script alongside Gil Kenan and Jason Blumenfeld. No stranger to the Ghostbusters franchise, Kenan also served as the co-author of Afterlife alongside Reitman, making him an excellent choice to carry on the torch.
Not many plot details have been released at this time, but we do know that Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 will be keeping things classic and heading back to New York City where the Spengler family, who we met in Afterlife, will be putting down roots. At this time, we know that many of the reboot film’s actors are expected to return along with other long-time franchise stars set to reprise their roles as well. As for who we can expect to see, chances are high that Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Paul Rudd, and Mckenna Grace will be returning to the next installment with probable appearances from Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver, who all joined forces again in Afterlife.
While we may not know where Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 will pick up, we can expect it to be shortly after the time of the original film’s events. In the first film, audiences were introduced to a new cast of characters from the classic films that we all know and love. In it, we met the Spenglers, a family who have just moved to an old family home in Oklahoma where the children unknowingly dig up a decades-old family secret, discovering that their grandfather was one of the original members of the Ghostbusters.
Intrigued, as any kid would be, they continue to look into the mysterious, but exciting past, accidentally unveiling a slew of new dangers. Donning their very own proton packs, the kids take on ghosts and meet some of their icons along the way. Just as Afterlife served in the memory of the late Harold Remis, we can expect Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 to do the same for other recently departed members of the original features including Ivan Reitman and Kymberly Herrin.
A self-proclaimed mega-fan of all things Ghostbusters, we can rest assured that Gil Kenan will remain true to canon for his take on Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2. Known for his work on the Academy Award nominated film Monster House, Kenan’s most recent release was last year’s A Boy Called Christmas. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 is set to release on December 20, 2023.
