The past few years have seen a resurgence in the Ghostbusters franchise with two exciting films in 2021’s Afterlife and 2024’s Frozen Empire, and it doesn’t look like that’ll be slowing down anytime soon. One of the reasons for that is the new Ghostbusters animated series, which will hopefully join the ranks of the best Netflix shows sooner rather than later.
Several decades after The Real Ghostbusters became a Saturday morning cartoon staple, we’ll soon go back to an animated version of New York City and watch the fearless ghost hunters take on all kinds of spirits, demonic forces, and otherwordly creatures like it’s 1984 all over again.
If this is the first you’re hearing about the upcoming Netflix show, don’t worry, because we’re about to break down everything we know about the exciting project.
What Is The Ghostbusters Animated Series Premiere Date?
As much as we would love to see a new, improved, and animated Ecto-1 roll through the streets of the Big Apple and catch all kinds of wayward spirits on the 2024 TV schedule, Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date for the Ghostbuster series. We should hear more about it and the launch date in the coming weeks and months, so make sure to check back for all the latest on when you’ll be able to call the Ghostbusters.
The Ghostbusters Animated Series Cast
There’s no word on who will be making up the Ghostbusters animated series cast, as Netflix has yet to reveal any information on any of the characters who’ll be appearing on the show. They could very well have all the surviving members of the original Ghostbusters cast to voice their respective characters, as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson all had sizable roles in the two most recent movies.
The show could also take a page out of the book of shows like Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Fast & Furious Spy Racers, which largely followed new characters introduced to their respective franchises instead of picking up with iconic heroes like Dr. Alan Grant or Dominic Toretto.
What Is The Ghostbusters Animated Series About?
Will the Ghostbusters animated series take place after the events of the Frozen Empire ending? Will it take place before the movies? Or will it simply be a new story set within the universe? The truth is, we don’t know quite yet as nothing about the plot has been revealed at this point in time.
However, when providing an update on the project and how Netflix gave it the greenlight in August 2024, Variety reported that unnamed sources said the 3D-animated series would be tonaly in line with the two more recent Ghostbuster films. That tidbit of information, which has not been confirmed by Netflix at this time, could mean we see Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard) return in some way. If that’s the case, it could be a story where they’re further building up the Ghostbusters or going back to basics.
With Wolfhard working with Netflix for the upcoming Stranger Things Season 5, it would make sense for the young actor, and his character, to pop up in some way.
Elliott Kalan Will Be The Writer And Executive Producer Of The Ghostbusters Animated Series
In the same Variety article reporting on the Ghostbusters animated series getting the greenlight, it was also revealed that Elliott Kalan would be writing the series as well as serving as one of its executive producers. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award winner from his time leading the writing staff for The Daily Show, Kalan later joined the writing staff of Netflix’s Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival series, so him working with the streamer is nothing new.
Kalan won’t be alone on the latest animated version of Ghostbusters, as Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, who directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire, respectively, in addition to writing both movies together, will also be executive producers through their Ghost Corps, Inc. outfit. However, there hasn’t been any word on who will be directing the series, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Gil Kenan And Jason Reitman Have Been Working On The Ghostbusters Animated Series Since 2022
Though it seems like the animated series is just now picking up steam, it has actually been in the works for a few years now, and Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman have been involved the entire time. Back in June 2022, just months after Afterlife breathed new life into the franchise, Netflix Tudum announced that a series was in the works at the streamer but didn’t share much information at the time.
Things seemingly went silent for a couple of years, which is understandable due to the team working on Frozen Empire. That changed in March 2024 when Kenan was promoting his latest directorial effort during an appearance on A Trip to the Movies, where said the following after being asked for a status update:
It’s very exciting. I just watched an entire art presentation for the show. I’ve seen the sets, the environments, and I just saw my first glimpse at a world of supernatural characters as realized by our brilliant creative team. All I can say is, the work is being done as we speak. It’s in what we call ‘full development.’ Scripts are being written, art is being created, and it’s a great time to be a Ghostbuster.
Again, those comments were from March 2024, which means Kenan, Reitman, and Elliott Kalan could be much farther along now that everything has been wrapped up with Frozen Empire.
The Netflix Show Will Be The Third Ghostbusters Animated Series
When this animated series premieres at some point down the road, it will be the third cartoon set in the franchise.
It all started back in 1986 with The Real Ghostbusters, which we consider one of the best animated shows of all time. The series ran on ABC and syndication from 1986 until 1991 and focused on the core group from the movies, though they were all voiced by different actors. The show was a massive hit and launched countless toys, games, and other forms of merchandise like a glow-in-the-dark pillow case that some of us may or may not still have in our possession.
A little more than 10 years later, Extreme Ghostbusters premiered in syndication but it didn’t last as long and was put to rest after only one season, whereas its predecessor had seven.
There was a more recent attempt to adapt the franchise into an animated series, but there hasn’t been any word on the project in years. In 2016, IndieWire reported that Sony Pictures Animation was working on a show that would have been called Ghostbusters: Ecto Force and would have followed a group of futuristic ghostbusters as they trotted the globe in the near future. The show was reportedly set to air in early 2018, but nothing ever materialized.
Expect to hear more about the Ghostbusters animated series in the coming months. If you want to watch Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, you can do so right now with a Netflix subscription.