The Ghostbusters franchise is a pop culture behemoth. It started back in 1984 with a hilarious film about ghost-catching scientists, however its success stemmed from more than just humor. People loved the quirky characters and the funny story.
After the first movie, Ghostbusters became a cultural phenomenon, spawning sequels, animated series, video games, and tons of merchandise — becoming $959 million worth iconic franchise (via The Numbers). In its wake, however, not every addition to it has been a hit with fans.
2 Ghostbusters Sequels That Miss the Mark Despite Iconic Legacy
The Ghostbusters franchise is hard to live up to. Both Ghostbusters: Answer The Call and Ghostbusters II have their fans, but they couldn’t match the charm of the original movie.
The reboot had trouble finding the right balance of humor and scares, while the sequel didn’t bring anything new to the table. These movies show how tough it is to recreate the magic of a beloved classic.
Ghostbusters: Answer The Call (2016)
Paul Feig‘s 2016 Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, was supposed to kickstart a new series of movies. This time, the Ghostbusters team was all-female, with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon in the lead roles.
The idea of rebooting Ghostbusters wasn’t bad, but the movie didn’t quite hit the mark. It tried to be funny like the original, but leaned too much into slapstick humor, which alienated some fans. The story wasn’t very strong, and the villain wasn’t memorable, either.
Despite a talented cast, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call failed to resonate with audiences and ultimately couldn’t measure up to the legacy of the 1984 classic.
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Ghostbusters II, the 1989 sequel to the original and directed by Ivan Reitman didn’t impress everyone. While some fans enjoyed it as a fun adventure, particularly for the villain Vigo The Carpathian, others felt it was a retread of the first film.
One big issue was the lack of originality. The storyline felt like a repeat of the first movie, which disappointed some fans. Plus, Bill Murray, who played one of the Ghostbusters, seemed like he wasn’t really into it.
Despite its flaws, Ghostbusters II had some good points. The special effects were groundbreaking for their time, the villain was memorable, and it kept the charm of the original New York City setting. Overall, though, it didn’t live up to the high standards set by the first movie.
Will Ghostbusters 6 Ever Come to Fruition?
After the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, fans are eagerly wondering if there will be a Ghostbusters 6. While Ghostbusters: Afterlife seems promising and could rival the original film, there’s been no official word on a Ghostbusters 6 yet. Initial reviews of Frozen Empire haven’t been great, but box office success matters more in Hollywood.
The Ghostbusters franchise has a history of making money when done right, so Frozen Empire’s nostalgic approach might still make it a hit.
Dan Aykroyd has talked about doing more Ghostbusters sequels with the original cast, but it’s unclear if that will happen. The Ghostbusters universe is vast, so there’s always the chance for new teams or reboots in the future.
Watch Ghostbusters: Answer The Call (2016) and Ghostbusters II on Prime Video.
