Ghostbusters Franchise Finds New Director in Gil Kenan

There are large issues on the best way for the Ghostbusters franchise: an animated movie in addition to a live-action sequel for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. And there’s information on the latter. Deadline reports that Afterlife director Jason Reitman, son of authentic Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, might be handing over directing duties to his Afterlife co-writer Gil Kenan for the follow-up to the 2021 movie. Reitman will function the sequel’s producer and co-writer.

The commerce additionally notes that “insiders add that the Ghostbusters: Afterlife ensemble that includes Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon is on board to return,” with casting now in progress for extra characters, and that the story is unknown, however is claimed to contain a return to New York City and a sure well-known firehouse-turned-HQ.

“A few years ago, my father handed me the keys to Ecto-1 and together we made Ghostbusters: Afterlife. 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,” mentioned Reitman per the report.

Kenan, whose earlier directorial credit embrace Monster House and the 2015 Poltergeist remake, added, “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,”

The lega-sequel of Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters universe felt like a full circle second and household affair of an image, with a youthful solid, led by McKenna Grace (The Haunting of Hill House) as Spengler’s granddaughter, who instantly endeared us to their adventures. The directing change shouldn’t come as an excessive amount of of a shock; beforehand, Jason Reitman advised io9, “It was never like any other movie that I’ve directed, and I don’t think it’s like any other experience any other director has ever had.”

Of working intently together with his father for the follow-up to 1984 popular culture phenom Ghostbusters, he mentioned, “I was sitting next to my father almost every single day. I’m carrying this movie, momentarily, that doesn’t belong to me. And in many ways, doesn’t even belong to [Ivan] anymore. And that’s kind of a fascinating experience. Normally, when you make a film, for a brief period of time, it belongs to you and then you hand it over and it belongs to the audience. Here is a case where this film never belonged to me. I simply picked up the baton for a moment.” The Ghostbusters franchise contains 1989’s Ghostbusters II, additionally directed by Ivan Reitman, and 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.

Reitman mirrored on his time collaborating together with his father, earlier than his passing early in 2022, because the movie continued their household’s legacy. “I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to make Ghostbusters fans proud, I wanted to make a film that was for everybody. And that’s a very daunting task.”

Stay tuned to io9 for updates on all issues Ghostbusters.

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