Why Ghostbusters: Afterlife Delay Is Actually Good For The Movie

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman reveals why a delay is actually good for the movie. The upcoming official third entry in the Ghostbusters franchise couldn’t arrive any sooner for many fans of the sci-fi comedy series, but unfortunately the wait will be a little longer. Once again, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame, as it has been for so many other key Hollywood productions over the past several months. Originally set for a July 10, 2020 release, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was delayed to March 5, 2021 earlier this year. Unfortunately, no one could have predicted the situation the world currently finds itself in.

In addition to the new film being the official third entry in the successful series, it also represents the chance for Sony to make another attempt at kickstarting something substantial with the Ghostbusters legacy. All Ghostbusters fans remember the issues surrounding Paul Feig’s 2016 female-led Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. Regardless of anyone’s opinions surrounding that film, it is clear it didn’t reach the highs of its predecessors. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is largely expected to lay the foundation for Sony to build something new from the decades-old series, gaining new fans in the process.

While news of Ghostbusters: Afterlife being delayed was a bitter pill for fans to swallow, Reitman is taking it all in stride. While appearing on Josh Gad’s Reunited Apart YouTube series (via CBR),the Oscar-nominated filmmaker revealed another installment of the franchise is already being planned and said that the extra time created by the delay allows him to “take a pause and breathe and look at the movie again.” Said Reitman:

“I can’t tell you anything, but we are working on another installment. We have a little bit more time, and look, as a director, I’ve never had this opportunity to actually take a pause and breathe and look at the movie again.”

Reitman also mentioned that during the coronavirus lockdown, he’s been spending his days editing Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Though the new film won’t focus on the original cast battling various supernatural beings, the surviving Ghostbusters will appear in order to pass on the torch to a new generation of teen ghost exterminators. Reitman has assured fans the “real DNA” of the original has been transferred into Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Given that the director’s own childhood was actually spent on the sets of the Ghostbusters franchise, fans are confident that what’s to come will be worth the prolonged wait. It seems Reitman and Sony also share this same degree of confidence, as evidenced by the apparent Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel that’s in the works.

It is often said that crisis presents opportunity. In the case of Reitman and his Ghostbusters sequel, the acclaimed filmmaker appears to be focusing on exactly that. It’s still too early to make any claims about how Ghostbusters: Afterlife will do at the box office. However, at this point it can be safely said that the current hype surrounding the film is the most the franchise has experienced since the lead up to 1989’s Ghostbusters II. The wait until 2021 does feel like a very long time from now, but then again, Ghostbusters fans are used to waiting for what they want.