Sony PicturesAfter a year of fan sniping online before its release, and a less-than-supernatural reception with moviegoers and critics afterward, Sony has reportedly buried plans to create a sequel to its female-centric Ghostbusters reboot.
A Sony source is disputing the number, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that the studio lost a reported $70 million bucks on the film that starred Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig as a quartet of paranormal exterminators.
The trade notes that Sony plans to keep the Ghostbusters universe alive via animated projects, both with a 2019 theatrical film, and on the small screen with Ghostbusters: Ecto Force. Ivan Reitman, the director and producer of the original Ghostbusters films — but who wasn’t involved in the new film — is reportedly “firmly back in charge” of the animated projects.
For now, Sony is still putting on a brave face, with one executive telling THR, “We’re very proud of the bold movie Paul Feig made, which critics and audiences loved,” adding, “It has enlivened a 30-year-old brand and put it into the modern zeitgeist. As a result, we have many ideas in the works to further exploit the Ghostbusters universe.”
According to BoxOfficeMojo, the Ghostbusters reboot has so far earned a little over $117 million domestically and nearly $63 million overseas.
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