The Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel has found its director in Gil Kenan, who also worked on the 2021 film. The sequel is also set to bring back Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, and the rest of the previous film's cast.
In 2021, Ghostbusters: Afterlife did well and properly renewed fan interest in the series despite being a victim of delays at Sony during the pandemic. Looking to capitalize on the last film's success, which saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife unseat Eternals to win the box office weekend, Sony has pushed forward with a fifth installment in the franchise to continue the story kicked off in Afterlife.
Deadline has confirmed that Kenan, who served as a screenwriter and executive producer on the 2021 project, will be returning to the franchise in the roles of director and producer for the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel in addition to writing duties. He will be joined on the producer’s chair by Jason Blumenfeld and Jason Reitman, with Reitman also filling the role of co-writer. Kenan has worked on supernatural-themed projects before, including Monster House, Poltergeist, and the Scream franchise, which has been known to subvert the tropes of the genre in a more subtle way than Ghostbuster's comedic charm. Addressing his appointment, Kenan said, “It’s an absolute honor to pick up the proton pack and step behind the camera for the next chapter of the Spengler family saga. I just wish I could go back to 1984 and tell the kid in the sixth row of the Mann Valley West that one day he was going to get to direct a Ghostbusters film.”ƒ
Similar to Sony's decision makers, Kenan's partner on the project has every confidence that the filmmaker will do the work justice. “A few years ago, my father handed me the keys to Ecto-1, and together we made Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” Jason Reitman said on the subject. “Words will never express how grateful I am to have made a film with my father by my side. It’s now time to hand those keys to my creative partner and fellow Ghostbuster Gil Kenan, a brilliant director who will keep the Spengler spirit alive. I can only hope to provide him the same producorial care and support that my father showed me.” Jason Reitman's father, Ivan Reitman, passed on in February 2022, shortly after finishing work on Afterlife, which served as a beautiful tribute to Harold Ramis, who has also passed.
The franchise has had its highs and lows but has consistently been able to resonate with fans on some level, with Ghostbusters being one of the horror movie franchises to have never dipped below 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether or not the upcoming project will be looked back on as a high or low point for the franchise remains to be seen. However, with Kenan and Jason Reitman working together and the original cast of the Afterlife signed on for the project, signs point to the former.
The next installment in the Ghostbusters franchise is slated for a December 20, 2023, release date.
Source: Deadline