Sony has delayed its upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel to 2024.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the next big-screen entry in the Ghostbusters franchise has moved from Dec. 20, 2023 to Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’s previous release date of March 29, 2024. Beyond the Spider-Verse, in turn, has been delayed indefinitely. The Ghostbusters and Spider-Verse sequels are two of several films Sony has pushed back amid the ongoing strikes in Hollywood.
The studio has also delayed Kraven the Hunter from Oct. 6, 2023 to Aug. 30, 2024; Gran Turismo from Aug. 11, 2023 to Aug. 25, 2023; and its next Karate Kid movie from June 7, 2024 to Dec. 13, 2024. Meanwhile, Madame Web has actually been bumped up slightly, moving from Feb. 16, 2024 to Feb. 14, 2024. Sony has also given release dates to Bad Boys 4 and Venom 3. Those films will release on June 14, 2024 and July 12, 2024, respectively.
Ghostbusters 4’s Delay was not unexpected
Interestingly, Ghostbusters franchise veteran Ernie Hudson previously hinted at the untitled Afterlife sequel might be delayed. “Yeah, we finished, the movie is done, it’s wrapped,” Hudson told Screen Rant. “Obviously, they’re editing and doing whatever else. I’ve heard rumors the end of the year they’ll push for, or maybe spring next year. I never know how the studios are gonna do whatever they do, but the filming is done, which was a little bit difficult with the writers’ strike and everything going on. So, I know there was a lot of shuffling around in terms of where it was being done, but I’m thankful that we at least got it done in the can, and now, I’m like everybody else, waiting to see what it all looks like.”
The upcoming Afterlife sequel will be the fourth main-series Ghostbusters film (and the franchise’s fifth feature film overall, counting the 2016 reboot). Gil Kenan takes over to direct a script he co-wrote with Jason Reitman. Kenan and Reitman previously co-wrote Afterlife, with Reitman being the one to direct the 2021 film.
The untitled sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife opens in theaters on March 29, 2024.