Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 Is Returning To The Franchise’s Most Iconic Location
Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 is filming in the classic Ghostbuster's firehouse.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 is set to return to the iconic New York firehouse setting from the original 1980’s films. The revelation was made by writer and director Jason Reitman, who shared a behind-the-scenes photo from the set, which will feature some dangerous villains. “Back in the Firehouse! Day One!” he captioned the image, also shared via the official Ghostbusters Twitter account.
Reitman previously hinted that the firehouse was being prepared for the movie in a separate social media post three weeks ago. He was pictured with director Gil Kenan — who is set to helm Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 — standing next to a brick wall in construction gear. The image was accompanied by the word “firehouse” and a ghost emoji.
The firehouse’s inclusion in Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 isn’t too surprising. The building was featured in the post-credit scene of the previous movie, which gave fans a glimpse into the franchise’s future. The clip reveals that Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) bought the old New York City location and plans to reopen the company.
Although legacy characters Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the film primarily focused on new cast members. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 will continue this trend, with Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd expected to reprise their roles as Phoebe, Trevor, Callie, and Gary Grooberson, respectively.
Ernie Hudson is also set to reprise his role more prominently in Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2. Meanwhile, Dan Aykroyd previously told USA Today that he would like to return and ultimately be written out for good. “I’d like to die. I think Bill and I should be killed in the next one,” he quipped before saying they’d be up for more films. “Maybe we use Ernie, Billy, and myself for four, five, and six?
While there aren’t too many details about the Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 plot, it’s been described as “the next chapter in the Spengler family story.” But it is unclear how that will play out. The sequel was confirmed by Jason Reitman in June 2022.
While he won’t be directing the movie, he was involved in penning the script with Gil Kenan and will serve as producer.
Principal photography for Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 began on March 20th. The firehouse is an iconic location in the Ghostbusters franchise, serving as the group’s headquarters. The location was chosen as the base of operations after an early script draft envisaged the team as service providers, like firefighters.
Additionally, Dan Aykroyd knew the area and liked the building, which resulted in its selection. The firehouse has appeared in different Ghostbusters media including movies, video games, and comic books. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 is currently using ‘firehouse” as its working title.
There are also real-world reasons why the building, soon to be seen in Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2, is significant. The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. 8 (the location’s actual name) were among the first responders during the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. So when the building faced closure due to costs, a public campaign was launched to save it.
