If there's something strange in the neighborhood, it could be the fallout from last summer's middling Ghostbusters reboot. While the film performed rather admirably, considering the pre-release backlash and post-release results that were had, it still wasn't the success Sony was probably hoping for. But hope springs eternal, especially with Ivan Reitman and the Ghost Corps team, who are already planning their next steps into paranormal investigation on the silver screen, as multiple films are in the works within the Ghostbusters canon.
In a chat with the folks over at iO9, Reitman laid out some rather interesting plans for the Ghostbusters name to continue its silver screen tradition. With the statement below, the series creator and shepherd confirmed an animated film we already knew was on the books, as well as a little something extra:
We jumped into an animated film [after the last movie] and we are developing [a] live-action film. I want to bring all these stories together as a universe that makes sense within itself. Part of my job right now is to do that.
Hearing about the animated film is no surprise, as it was the first big move that the Ghostbusters brass made after director Paul Feig's version of the mythos underperformed according to their standards. But Ivan Reitman mentioning a new live action film is a rather surprising development, as that was certainly not a part of any plans we could recall being mentioned before now. Of course, that was the only comment that Reitman made about the project on the whole, which assures that whatever this new live action film is, its approach is probably undefined for the time being.
What's going to be an interesting factor to keep an eye on is the fact whether or not Ghostbusters' newly announced live action film will be a sequel to 2016's universe or a brand new film altogether. It wouldn't be wise to hold one's breath for a Paul Feig flavored sequel, so that's probably safe to take off of the table. However, what could be interesting is if Sony and Ghost Corps decided to revive the once rumored Ghostbusters project with Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum at the center of the film's cast. Whatever it is, it'll definitely have to line up with whatever the animated film is planning to do, considering Ivan Reitman wants to blend the two universes together.
For now, the animated Ghostbusters film will be the first out of the gate, and Ghost Corps has a timeline they'd love to keep in mind for the film. Considering they've already got director Fletcher Moules working on the project, it's not hard to believe this film will be in production sooner rather than later. The studio is aiming for a 2018 or 2019 release date for their animated project, but when it comes to their next Ghostbusters picture, Ivan Reitman is quick to remind us that this plan is as good as the work going into it execution. Simply put, Reitman issued the following caveat speaking towards when to expect that animated picture:
It depends on on how fast we can get it all together. It's hard to make an animated film.
For now, we'll have to wait and see how exactly the Ghostbusters legacy continues to move forward into the future. But for now, it's at least comforting to know that there are irons in the fire. Let's just hope interest doesn't cool too much between now and whenever one of those irons strikes the screen. We'll keep you posted as soon as we have any new developments for any incarnation of Ivan Reitman's legendary comedy franchise, so stay tuned to us here at CinemaBlend.
