30 years after Ghostbusters 2 hit theaters, Ghostbusters: Afterlife proved to be the right vehicle to reinvigorate the media franchise. Keeping a steady box office over two weeks signaled a potential future for more Ghostbusters films. While there’s no official word on a sequel, a recent development may point toward that becoming more of a reality.
According to Deadline, Ghostbuster: Afterlife co-writers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan inked a lucrative overall deal with Sony Pictures. The Reitman-Kenan deal isn’t too much of a surprise given Sony serves as the home for the beloved franchise. The duo’s writing and Reitman’s direction proved to be the right combination for putting the franchise back on top. After all, the Ghostbusters reboot held strong in its second weekend with $35.3 million.
Sony roping in Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan for an overall deal showed a vote of confidence after the writing duo revitalized the Ghostbusters franchise. Studio head Sanford Panitch called Reitman a “dream producing partner” with a great vision for filmmaking. He even gave props to Reitman and Kenan for creating quality blockbuster films. The writing duo reciprocated Panitch’s sentiment in an official statement about the incredible deal:
We’re excited to have evolved our storytelling partnership into a full-fledged production company and couldn’t be more proud to have a home at Sony Pictures, the studio most committed to the theatrical movie going experience.
Shifting from a partnership to a production company signaled Sony Pictures has faith in Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan’s visionary storytelling. Hopefully, this new deal will translate into more Ghostbusters sequels and other opportunities. Of course, the end credit scenes left things open to a follow-up. The deal pointed to an Afterlife sequel being closer to realization.
As with many filmmakers, Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan were all about keeping the theatrical experience going. For Reitman, that’s nothing new considering he grew up watching his father Ivan Reitman craft the original Ghostbusters films. Despite current circumstances, the younger Reitman wants to keep that legacy alive.
In keeping the Ghostbusters legacy alive, Reitman may bring back the OG Ghostbusters – Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson – once again. Ghostbusters: Afterlife allowed the new and OG fans to see the three actors strapping on the proton packs again. Maybe they’ll team up with Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace to fight the paranormal in New York City.
While the Sony deal is a move in the right direction, an Afterlife follow-up hasn’t been announced yet. Hopefully, the entire cast will be able to return if one comes to fruition. Fans will have to wait and see what project(s) will come from this deal. Until Sony gives the sequel a green light, moviegoers can watch Ghostbusters: Afterlife in theaters right now.