Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire inspired by The Real Ghostbusters’ willingness to be weird and wild

The Ghostbusters: Afterlife (watch it HERE) sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which, of course, also serves as a sequel to the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II) is set to reach theatres on March 22nd – and during an interview with Empire magazine, director/co-writer Gil Kenan revealed that the film draws inspiration from the 1986 – 1991 animated series The Real Ghostbusters‘ willingness to be weird and wild.

Kenan said he appreciated The Real Ghostbusters‘ “wild, original and weird-as-fuck villains. We wanted to bring that show’s looseness and fearlessness to this movie. I think it’s going to surprise people just how big this film is.“

As Empire pointed out, The Real Ghostbusters “unleashed such oddities as a werechicken, a boogeyman, and an alternate reality with ‘Peoplebusters’.” As for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the main villain is something known as the Death Chill, and it also features a giant creature known as the Sewer Dragon. The iconic ghost Slimer is back as well, along with mini Stay Puft marshmallow men and a ghost called Pukey.

Speaking of sources of inspiration, producer/co-writer Jason Reitman told Empire, “John Hughes was a big touchstone. That thing of a family in a station wagon, living in a crumbling home, the teenagers kicking back against their parents. [Finn Wolfhard’s] Trevor’s 18 now, so he’s like, ‘I’m an adult!’ We wanted that Royal Tenenbaums thing of a family living on top of each other… but in the Ghostbusters’ Firehouse. We see the Firehouse way more than in any previous Ghostbusters film. What’s it like to sleep there, do laundry there? What’s the attic like?“

According to Empire, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire finds that Ghostbusters HQ in NYC is all go, go, go. Not only are the younger Spengler family (and Paul Rudd’s Gary Grooberson) battling spectres on the regular alongside the original crew, but there’s a whole host of new faces entering the fray too. It’s a whole hive of ectoplasmic activity, with multiple generations coming together to battle the paranormal. 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace are back for the sequel, reprising the roles of Trevor and Phoebe. They’re joined in the cast by Carrie Coon, playing Trevor and Phoebe’s mom Callie; Paul Rudd, back as his Afterlife character Gary Grooberson; William Atherton as Walter Peck, the antagonistic EPA inspector from the first Ghostbusters film; Celeste O’Connor as Trevor’s friend Lucky Domingo; Logan Kim as Phoebe’s friend Podcast; Annie Potts as Ghostbusters receptionist Janine Melnitz; and new additions Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens), James Acaster (Hypothetical), and Emily Alyn Lind (Doctor Sleep). Original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson are in the film as well, possibly with more prominent roles than they had in the previous movie.

At first, Afterlife director Jason Reitman was expected to take the helm of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, once again directing from a screenplay he was writing with Gil Kenan – but then it was revealed that Kenan will actually be directing the new film. He previously directed the animated movie Monster House, the live-action films City of Ember, A Boy Called Christmas, and the remake of Poltergeist, and an episode of the Scream TV series.

Are you looking forward to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire? What do you think of the movie drawing inspiration from The Real Ghostbusters? Let us know by leaving a comment below.