Will there be any 35-foot-long, 600-pound Twinkies terrorizing the streets of New York City inGhostbusters: Frozen Empire?Probably not, but there’s sure to be plenty of psychokinetic energy in the Big Apple for the Ghostbusters to deal with. And this time around, a film in the franchise is looking to the animated series,The Real Ghostbusters(1986-1991), for some eerie inspiration.Frozen Empire’sdirector, Gil Kenan, revealed in an exclusive interview withEmpirewhat it was about the TV show that crossed over into the upcoming sequel. Kenan said:
[The Real Ghostbusters'] wild, original and weird-as-fuck villains.
Kenan added:
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.
Frozen Empire’sproducer and co-writer, Jason Reitman, insists that theGhostbusters: Afterlifesequel also owes a debt of gratitude to the Silver Screen stalwart, John Hughes, whose films in the 1980s and ‘90s were quintessential contributions to both film history and pop culture. Reitman said in the same interview:
“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!’”
Related:The Coolest Ghosts From the Ghostbusters Franchise, Ranked
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Influences
WhileGhostbusters: Frozen Empiredoes lean heavily intoThe Real Ghostbustersfor some inspiration, particularly where the film’s villains are concerned, co-writer and producerJason Reitmanreveals that fans can also expect a bit of filmmaker Wes Anderson’s flair and flavor in the upcoming sequel. Reitman said in the same interview:
“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?”
Empire’s upcoming issuesfeaturing the entirety of director Gil Kenan and Reitman’s interviews will offer two collectible covers. One features the newer Ghostbusters team (Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon) all suited up, while the other shows off the OG squad (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson). And Annie Potts is shown sporting a team uniform for the very first time in the franchise’s 40-year history!
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireopens in theaters on March 22. And fans can check outthe film’s official teaser trailerright now.
