Dan Aykroyd doesn’t believe he or Bill Murray will return for future installments in the Ghostbusters franchise. The actors, who have been part of the series since the 1984 original, reprised their legendary roles in the two most recent entries, 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. But it sounds like that will be the end of the line for them.
“I don’t see that coming,” Aykroyd said in an interview with the New York Post. “I don’t see where they would need us to carry it on. They’ve got a whole new cast, and they’ve got whole new ideas.”
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While Afterlife and Frozen Empire tapped into nostalgia by bringing back original cast members like Aykroyd, Murray, and more, those films primarily focus on the new generation of Ghostbusters. In fact, Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan considers those two movies part of the “Phoebe Spengler saga,” illustrating how significant Egon Spengler’s granddaughter is to the franchise. If more Ghostbusters movies are made, Phoebe and her family will continue to be at the center.
[Related: Ghostbusters Director Teases More Sequels on the Way After Frozen Empire Disappointment]
Frozen Empire was a disappointment critically and commercially, grossing only $201.9 million worldwide against a $100 million production budget. Despite that performance, the plan is for the series to continue. Kenan has said that he and Afterlife director Jason Reitman (who also co-wrote and produced Frozen Empire) have more stories they want to tell on the big screen. Additionally, a Ghostbusters animated series is coming to Netflix. Aykroyd is serving as an executive producer on the show.
As fun as it was to see Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and other franchise icons in the two most recent films, it would arguably be for the best if they hung up the proton packs for good. One of the reasons why Frozen Empire earned such a mixed reception is because it seemed torn between continuing Phoebe’s story from Afterlife and giving the returning veterans enough to do. The film seemed to be juggling too many characters, and condensing the cast for the next installment could help it be more focused. The original Ghostbusters did their part to pass the torch, and now it’s time for the franchise to move ahead.
Of course, it remains to be seen if a Frozen Empire sequel will happen. That film’s underwhelming box office haul could influence Sony’s decision, as it appears the property doesn’t have as much mainstream appeal as it once did. Carrie Coon, who would more than likely reprise her role as Phoebe’s mother Callie Spengler in a future installment, has yet to see a script for a follow-up, implying it’s still in the earliest stages of development. Regardless of what happens, it sounds like audiences have seen the last of Ray.
