Exclusive: Chris Pratt In Talks For Ghostbusters Afterlife Sequel
Update March 2024: Chris Pratt did not appear in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Chris Pratt may soon star in the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is currently in development at Sony Pictures. According to our trusted and proven sources, the Guardians of the Galaxy star is being considered for a role in the new film, which has been described as a direct continuation of the 2021 legacy sequel, though there are no details of who he might be playing. If Chris Pratt does join the Ghostbusters series, this will be yet another notch in his belt of existing franchises that he jumps aboard to revitalize.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was the most recent attempt to reboot the series after the original two films and was by far the most successful, bringing in over $200 million at the box office and receiving mostly good reviews. For the most part, it took the popular soft-reboot route of introducing new, younger characters alongside brief appearances from established older characters, with Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace eventually teaming up with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and the digital ghost of Harold Ramis to take on a resurgent Gozer (Olivia Wilde). Bringing a recognizable star like Chris Pratt to the next Ghostbusters movie could certainly be seen as an attempt to keep the momentum going.
It also might be interesting to see Star-Lord and Ant-Man finally come face to face, albeit not in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both Chris Pratt and Paul Rudd were usually utilized for their comedic talents in the MCU, which could either double the fun for Ghostbusters or be too much of a good thing. Rudd has been confirmed as returning for the sequel (along with Carrie Coon and the younger cast members), so we might finally get to see the two on-screen together.
Chris Pratt is pretty well-known for joining pre-established franchises at this point in his career, so Ghostbusters is a logical next step. Thus far, he has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rebooted the Jurassic Park series alongside Bryce Dallas Howard, and will soon be voicing Garfield in a new animated film as well as famed plumber and savior figure Mario Mario. In short, Chris Pratt seems pretty comfortable with being a late addition to something people already know, like Ghostbusters.
One of the few released pieces of information about the new Ghostbusters movie is that it will take place in New York City, so it seems the franchise is going back to its roots. Ghostbusters: Afterlife was the first movie in the series to move the action away from NYC, transplanting the main characters to rural Oklahoma. Since Chris Pratt does not exactly give off “I’m walkin’ here” native New Yorker vibes, it will be interesting to see what his possible role might be.
Interestingly, the possible conceit of Chris Pratt in Ghostbusters in New York City seems oddly similar to another recent successful legacy sequel, with the upcoming Scream 6 also moving to NYC. Maybe there is a very weird crossover in the works.
