More than two years after it first entered development, the new Ghostbusters animated series is officially a go at Netflix. It first came to light in 2022 that Sony Pictures Animation had partnered with Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan of Ghost Corps, Inc., the duo behind the most recent Ghostbusters films, to make a new show for the streamer. Now we have word that Netflix has given the show the green light, in addition to finding a showrunner to take the reins.
According to Variety, Elliott Kalan (Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) has been tapped as the showrunner and writer of the series. Kalan will also serve as an executive producer alongside Reitman and Kenan. Plot details are being kept under wraps and the show does not have an official title just yet. It is merely described as a “3D animated series” that will “be tonally in line” with 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. There’s also no word on casting, so it’s unclear if any familiar voices will be part of the proceedings.
This is the third animated series in the history of the franchise. The first was The Real Ghostbusters, which had a very successful run on ABC in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. That was followed up by the slightly less successful Extreme Ghostbusters, which debuted in 1997.
The show comes at an interesting time for the franchise overall. Afterlife successfully revived the series for modern audiences, taking the legacy sequel route by bringing in new, younger characters that the older characters could pass the baton to. Unfortunately, this year’s Frozen Empire was not nearly as successful critically or financially speaking, meaning it’s unlikely we’ll get a direct sequel. So, to the world of animated TV we go instead.
“I just watched an entire art presentation for the show,” Kenan said of the show in an interview with A Trip to the Movies back in March. “I’ve seen the sets and 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.
The Ghostbusters animated series does not currently have a release date. For more, check out FANGORIA #84 from the archives, which features Ghostbusters II on the cover.
