We've known for a while that Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation are attempting to expand on the Ghosbusters franchise not just with a an animated series, but an animated movie as well. Unfortunately, details surrounding both projects have been light, but this week a new report surfaced that gives the movie some new signs of life.
According to insider Jeff Sneider, Sam Jarvis has been tapped to write the script for the film. Self-described as "a writer who is sometimes funny on purpose," Jarvis has an impressive comedic writing resume. Her work includes writing credits on Dirt, Tosh.0, and Dollface.
Jarvis joins the project after Yoni Brenner and Kristy Hall, who wrote earlier drafts of the script. Sneider also adds that the movie will be directed by Kris Pearn (The Tiger's Apprentice) and will be a wholly new entry in the franchise.
Ghostbusters had a bit of a resurgence in recent years. The franchise returned in 2021 with the legacy sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film heavily referenced the original Ghostbusters, but also made an effort to appeal to a new generation of younger viewers. Ghosbusters: Afterlife was generally well-received and earned about $204.3 million globally during its theatrical run. Its moderate box office success earned a sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which was released in 2024.
The sequel received mixed response. While it impress critics, general audiences found it enjoyable to the tune of $200 million worldwide at the box office.
Between the release of the two movies, Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation announced plans to develop a new animated series based on Ghostbusters. It should be noted that this film is entirely separate from the animated series, which was first announced in 2022.
Details surrounding the current Ghostbusters movie remain under wraps, which makes sense since it still appears to be very early in the pre-production process. However, there have been talks of an animated movie that date all the way back to 2016. Early reports suggested the film would follow a new generation of Ghostbusters, and be loosely tied to the 2016 reboot. But after the disappointing box office performance of the live-action Ghostbusters reboot, Sony likely reconsidered the idea.
There was another more unusual pitch for a movie that also floated around the internet, claiming that a movie would shift the focus to the perspective of a ghost rather than the Ghostbusters themselves. At this point, it's unclear if Sony will go with either of these premises.