New Ghostbusters Christmas Movie Set to Debut

It looks like the Ghostbusters franchise is getting ready for a festive comeback. Insider Daniel Richtman has revealed that Sony is working on a new live-action film titled Ghostbusters: Nightmare on 34th Street.

While details are limited, it’s reported that Josh Miller, known for his work on the Sonic the Hedgehog films and the action-comedy Violent Night, is writing the script. The title hints at a Christmas theme, playing off the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street and referencing the beloved 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street.

Following the original 1984 Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel, the franchise saw a reboot in 2016. Although the reboot garnered generally favorable reviews, it faced criticism from some fans for its all-female lead cast and a storyline that didn’t resonate with everyone. It earned $229 million against a $144 million budget, leading to the cancellation of a planned direct sequel.

Instead, Sony returned to the original film’s legacy with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, which received a mixed 63% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. This film served as a direct continuation of Ghostbusters 2, focusing on Callie Spengler, the daughter of Egon Spengler. Afterlife grossed $204.3 million on a $75 million budget, paving the way for a sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, set for 2024. It remains to be seen if Ghostbusters: Nightmare on 34th Street will follow this recent narrative thread. In 2024, Frozen Empire’s director and writer Gil Kenan mentioned he was also developing a direct sequel.

In addition to Kenan’s untitled sequel and Nightmare on 34th Street (which may be the same project), Sony Pictures Animation is working on an animated film for Netflix. On the TV front, Ghostbusters: Night Shift is an animated series from Flying Bark Productions, slated for a 2027 release on Netflix. With this show and several other rumored projects, the Ghostbusters universe has a lot to look forward to.

We have the tools, we have the talent, and we have a new Ghostbusters cartoon.