Back in 2022, Sony had a busy day at CinemaCon. Among many other announcements, Sony had exciting news for two other franchises, Venom and Ghostbusters. Although we wouldn’t exactly call it shocking news, Sony shared that Venom 3 and Ghostbusters 5 were officially on the way. This year at CinemaCon, we didn’t get any news on Venom 3, but the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel saw a fresh tease.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Sequel

We still don’t know too much about  Ghostbusters 5. But at CinemaCon 2023, we saw video footage from the set of the new Ghostbusters movie. The video featured Director Gil Kenan, writer Jason Reitman, as well as the core cost of the Afterlife sequel, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, and Finn Wolfhard. The cast was all dressed in the iconic Ghostbusters uniforms. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the set video “revealed they would be living under one roof in New York at the Ghostbusters firehouse.” The movie has also revealed a new logo. It hints at a chilly time to come.

We previously learned the movie would follow Afterlife and continue the story of the Spenglers. At Ecto-Fest, Jason Reitman shared we will see “the next chapter in the Spengler family story.” Additionally, this upcoming movie will take place in New York City. The thought of more heart-filled, ghost-busting shenanigans have us ready to head to the theater. Here’s hoping that Ghostbusters 5 will continue the legacy Afterlife left for it.

Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) grins with delight as she fires a proton pack, while Podcast (Logan Kim), wearing a pair of night vision goggles, cheers her on in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Ghostbusters 5 is on the way.
Columbia Pictures

As noted above, Jason Reitman will not direct this next Ghostbusters installment. Instead, Gil Kenan will take the helm. Kenan co-wrote Afterlife’s script with Reitman, and the pair also co-wrote Ghostbusters 5. Additionally, per Deadline, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife has cast Kumail Nanjiani And Patton Oswalt. James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind have also reportedly joined the cast, but no word yet on their roles.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, we also learned that Ghostbusters 5 will arrive just in time for Christmas next year on December 20, 2023. It’s a no-brainer that it comes during a season of joy, given that  Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit such a high note among fans. We need things to look forward to these days.

In the meanwhile, we’ll revisit Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Honestly, two very quality movies. In a world of sequels and franchises, these absolutely stand out. And with more on the way, we have to get ready to dive back into these excellent worlds. Here’s hoping for some casting news, release date information, and maybe even some footage sooner rather than later. But for now, we’ll content ourselves with the news that this duo of movies will grace our screens.

Venom 3

As far as Venom 3 is concerned, fans of the franchise rejoiced at the news of a third movie. Venom and Eddie went on some multiversal travels when we last saw them. And they jumped back and forth from Sony’s world to the world of the MCU. Some fans feared this would mean the duo would get swallowed up into the world or separated permanently.

Most recently, Deadline reported that Chiwetel Ejiofor will co-star alongside Tom Hardy in Venom 3. But no further details were revealed. The publication also reported that Ted Lasso‘s Juno Temple is in negotiations to join the cast of Venom 3. It seems she is set to play a lead role.

TomHardy

Additionally, Tom Hardy recently shared a post that indicated he had a hand in creating the story for Venom 3.

Fingers crossed for more intel on Venom 3 very soon. 

Originally published on April 22, 2022.