Ghostbusters Afterlife might not be the end of the franchise, hints director

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)

The road to Ghostbusters’ new lease-of-life in 2021’s Afterlife sequel has been a rocky one. Several attempts have been made to reunite the original cast for decades, while 2016’s Paul Feig-directed reimagining was tepidly received.

Speaking to Total Film ahead of its new issue, Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman hopes the upcoming release will reverse that trend – and lead to a new boom period for the ‘busting franchise.

"The last thing I wanted to do was close the door on Ghostbusters," Reitman says. "I wanted to pick something up that would then be available to many other storytellers to tell Ghostbusters stories. It’s one of the great franchises, so one of our goals was to make a movie that absolutely led to more Ghostbusters films."

Much like those who clapped eyes on the original in 1984, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is aiming to enrapture a whole new generation – and prove that Ghostbusters is still alive and sliming for years to come.

Elsewhere, you can now take a look at a trio of exclusive images from Ghostbusters: Afterlife… just as long as you ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Or proton packs.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife opens in cinemas in the UK on November 18 and on November 19 in the US. For much more on the film from Reitman and his cast, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits shelves (real and digital) from Thursday, October 14.

And if you’re a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? 

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.