Ghostbusters 3’s 30-Year Delay Revealed: Director’s Father’s Aversion to Sequels Uncovered

by

Afterlife” (for this discussion, we’re referring to the 2016 “Ghostbusters” as a complete reboot and not part of the original Reitman-created canon). The delay was largely due to his father’s perspective on sequels.

Ivan Reitman, a renowned figure in Hollywood who sadly passed away in 2022, was the mastermind behind numerous comedy classics spanning multiple decades. One of these timeless comedies was the supernatural flick “Ghostbusters,” released in 1984, which introduced us to a team of eccentric scientists chasing ghosts. Although Reitman directed the sequel “Ghostbusters II” in 1989, it seems he had little interest in revisiting the characters or their tales from earlier days.

Jason discussed his career and upbringing in a household steeped in filmmaking on “The Blocks Podcast with Neil Brennan.” Remarkably, the director of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” revealed that his father was intrigued by the concept of continuing the original storyline with fresh characters while incorporating details from the 1980s films. However, it’s worth noting that he didn’t explicitly endorse this idea when it came to his son.

My father has always been puzzled by sequels. When I wrote ‘Afterlife’, he initially showed disinterest. However, upon encountering the girl’s journey to Oklahoma and discovering a proton pack, he seemed excited. But when the terror dogs appeared, reminiscent of ’84, he expressed confusion about the return of Gozer. He simply wanted a fresh, new storyline.

The Ghostbusters series didn’t have a continuous success throughout the decades, possibly because my father, following the original release of Ghostbusters, decided to work on Twins instead. He created Ghostbusters II, but there was no further development in the franchise for quite some time after that.

‘Ghostbusters II’ “Mistake” Finally Addressed

During the same conversation, Reitman also addressed a fact about Ghostbusters IIthat proves that Ivan wasn’t in tune with the whole sequel thing.The film is still pretty underrated, but it’s certainly an inferior film to the 1984 original. Jason spoke about this detail in the sequel that only true fans probably noticed:

My father’s affection for sequels was evident in his understanding of them. In the film Ghostbusters II, you can see the number 2 on the Ghostbusters car, indicating it’s a sequel. I remember asking him about this years later, wondering why the Ghostbusters logo for the sequel was displayed on their vehicle, Ecto-1, as if they were unaware they were in a follow-up film. He explained that it was likely an oversight.

Despite the Ghostbusters franchise not raking in massive box office revenues, it appears to be maintaining enough interest to keep enthusiasts hopeful for future projects. With an upcoming animated series on Netflix and potential plans for another film, the spirit of busting ghosts continues to bring joy to many.

Read More

2025-01-30 18:32