After decades of will it/won’t it (particularly on this site beginning in the early 1990’s), “Ghostbusters III” is now finally in theaters and it is wonderful! The extension of the original Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is full of heart and emotion. It continues the story that began in 1984. And it has wowed audiences earning the number one box office spot with a stronger-than-predicted $44 million in 4,315 domestic theater ticket sales, and even more internationally.
It’s easy to say that Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a Herculean task of being a bridge, a bookend, and a launchpad. And somehow was able to juggle all three masterfully - bridging the films from the 80’s to a new generation, bookending a story that began and closes out in 2021, and acts as a launchpad for countless stories to come.
Variety, among other industry trades, sees the strong box office, the warm audience reception, and the potential for stories to come as a signal that the franchise has a strong future. Combined with strong merchandise sales including Hasbro Pulse’s recent crowd funded 1:1 Spengler Proton Pack reaching its goal and continuing to stretch, promotional tie-ins including a limited re-release of Ecto-Cooler for events and a transformation of the iconic Randy’s Donut facade in Los Angeles, and more show the future being bright.
So what’s next?
The Thanksgiving holiday week and the word of mouth will be a strong indication of the continued success of the film. I’ve maintained that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is like a good album that you listen to for the first time and can’t absorb everything. It just continues getting better upon repeated viewing. So make sure to go see it in the theaters and enjoy it on the big screen as much as you can. Home video and VOD sales will also be a good indication of the popularity of the franchise with the lingering pandemic and many people still unable to get into the theaters. Note how there was a ten-fold increase in popularity of Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi as soon as it became available on VOD and the Disney+ streaming platforms to a larger audience that didn’t catch it in theaters.
Long story short, it’s a good time to be a longtime fan of Ghostbusters and the perfect time to be a new fan experiencing the wonder and the wish fulfillment of the franchise for the first time. I have a feeling we ain’t seen nothing yet.