When it comes to the most-anticipated movies of 2024, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is near the top of our list. This the fifth overall movie in the franchise, but only the fourth in the main series that began 40 years ago this year with the original Ghostbusters. While Ghostbusters 2 arrived in 1989, and a reboot followed in 2016, it was 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife that breathed new life into the franchise and enticed the veteran cast members to reprise their roles.
Gil Kenan is directing and co-writing Frozen Empire with his Ghostbusters: Afterlife collaborator Jason Reitman. This film was actually supposed to come out last year, but it was pushed back due to the writers and actors strike. Now that the sequel is right around the corner, we’re sharing everything we know about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
What’s the story about in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
It’s about bringing three generations of Ghostbusters together. Gary Grooberson has accompanied the Spengler family on their move from Oklahoma to New York City, and it really looks like he might be stepdad material because he’s joining the team alongside Callie Spengler, the daughter of the late Egon Spengler.
Callie’s daughter, Phoebe Spengler, is the real genius behind the current team of teenage Ghostbusters. And Phoebe has been invited to help the original Ghostbusters modernize their equipment for the first time in decades to find new and exciting ways to bust ghosts. However, all three generations of the team find themselves in over their heads when an ancient entity unleashes a new ice age on New York City and possibly the entire world. It’s going to take all hands on to tackle this problem, so who are you gonna call?
Who’s starring in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
All of the major cast members from Ghostbusters: Afterlife are reprising their roles for this film. The full cast includes the following performers:
- Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson
- Carrie Coon as Callie Spengler
- Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spengler
- Mckenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler
- Celeste O’Connor as Lucky Domingo
- Logan Kim as Podcast
- Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman
- Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz
- Ernie Hudson as Dr. Winston Zeddemore
- Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz
- William Atherton as Walter Peck
Newcomers to the cast include Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem Razmaadi, Patton Oswalt as Dr. Hubert Wartzki, and James Acaster as a very Egon Spengler-like character, Lars Pinfield. Emily Alyn Lind will also appear in the movie, but her role has not yet been revealed.
Is there a trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
Yes, and the most recent trailer plays up the seriousness of the threat by not only showing the current team in action, but the original Ghostbusters as well. The trailer could be misleading, but it certainly appears that the first team of Ghostbusters will have a larger role in this film than they did in Afterlife.
There’s a particularly satisfying moment that features the return of William Atherton’s Walter Peck, one of the Ghostbusters’ human adversaries during the first film. With Atherton on board, the only significant surviving cast members from the first movie who aren’t in this one are Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis. And considering that Weaver made a cameo in Afterlife, we can’t rule out seeing her in this film.
When will Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire be released?
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will hit theaters on Friday, March 22.
