Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Unites Bill Murray And Paul Rudd In New Look
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, most of the original crew (including Bill Murray) only showed up at the climax to help end the threat of Gozer once and for all. However, it looks like the OGs will be playing a more prominent role in Ghosters: Frozen Empire if this picture of Bill Murray and Paul Rudd in the original Firehouse is anything to go by. Furthermore, director Gil Kenan confirmed that the franchise is “now in the post-Gozerian era of the Ghostbusters saga, so that means we’re able to stretch out and create an entirely new mythology.”
Egon Spengler Lives On
Unless his ghost makes another appearance (one that would be far more tasteless), it doesn’t look like the Egon Spengler character, played by Harold Ramis, will appear in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. However, his legacy continues thanks to his daughter Callie and his granddaughter Phoebe taking on a new menace threatening New York City. They will be joined by the surviving original Ghostbusters Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, and Winston Zeddemore.
Back To New York
Most of the other franchise newcomers from Afterlife will be coming back, including Podcast, Trevor, Lucky, and Mr. Grooberson. In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the whole team must discover how to stop the “Death Chill” that escaped from an ancient artifact before it can cover the entire world in icy weather. This effect starts in New York City, meaning that the Ghostbusters’ old stomping ground will look very different on the big screen.
Inspiration From The Cartoon
To hear new cast member Kumail Nanjini tell it, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will also feel very different from previous films because it uses The Real Ghostbusters cartoon as “a point of reference.” He claims that “the filmmakers wanted to make a long episode of the animated series,” which should be good news for anyone who spent their Saturday mornings watching this show while playing with their Kenner Firehouse playset.
To his point, Sony has revealed that Slimer will appear in Frozen Empire, and this spectral spud has long been the de facto mascot of the cartoon and the franchise in general.
Cold Cash And Hot Water
Fans of those classic toys may remember that Afterlife had some partial inspiration from The Real Ghostbusters merchandise: the Ectomobile in that movie has a gunner seat that pops out of the side, which certainly seemed like a nod to the old Real Ghostbusters Ectomobile toy that had a gunner seat on the top of the vehicle.
It seems Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire may be more specific with its cartoon references, which means the film could be loosely inspired by The Real Ghostbusters episode “Cold Cash and Hot Water.”
Frozen Empire’s Big Bad Revealed?
The plot of that ep involved a fiery demon frozen in an artifact from the Arctic, and the 2016 Tobin’s Spirit Guide confirmed that the Ice Age began when Hob Anagarak (believed by many to be a fire god) was defeated and imprisoned.
If Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes its inspiration directly from this episode, then the Ghostbusters may be unwitting patsies who accidentally free a world-threatening demon by preventing a second Ice Age. We won’t know for sure how accurate our theory is, though, until Frozen Empire thrills and chills audiences when it releases on March 29, 2024.
Source: Empire
