Tonight on Canal+: 40 years later, we can still call the heroes of this famous franchise from the 80s.

40 years after the first opus, they are back! Ghostbusters: The Ice Menace, which was released last April, marks the beginning of a new chapter in the popular franchise following the success of Ghostbusters: Legacy 2021. This time, director Gil Kenan offers an adventure where the emblematic heroes of the saga – Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zedemore (Ernie Hudson) – put the new generation in the face of icy danger.

The film tells the story of Garaka, a new antagonist who decided to freeze New York during the Ice Age. And it’s an opportunity to bring together two generations of Ghostbusters movies between the original characters and recent characters like Gary (Paul Rudd), Callie (Carrie Cooney), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mackenna Grace) to make a revival. Capturing the spirit of old movies while attracting younger audiences.

Despite this great reunion, the film proved too reliant on nostalgia, earning it mixed reviews. Indeed, while some praised the restoration of the original team, while others criticized the script for its lack of originality, the film was content to repeat the tricks of the first opus.

Mixed success at the box office and an uncertain sequel

If Ghostbusters: The Ice Menace brought in fans eager to see their favorite characters again, it didn’t achieve the expected success at the box office. With an estimated production budget of $100 million, the film grossed only $201 million worldwide, barely enough to cover its costs after its VOD release.

Compared to its predecessor, The Legacy, which grossed $204 million on a small budget of $75 million, The Ice Menace seems to have disappointed in terms of profitability.

Faced with these numbers, the future of the franchise remains uncertain. According to Gil Kenan, discussions are underway with screenwriter and producer Jason Reitman to expand the universe to the big screen. However, future films are likely to take a more restrained approach, with smaller budgets and more intimate narratives. The presence of older players may also decline, with their high fees weighing on production costs.

In order for the franchise to continue to attract a more demanding audience, it seems necessary that it move away from pure nostalgia and offer new stories centered around new characters. Therefore, fans will have to wait a little longer to find out if Ghostbusters is ready to come out of the shadows of the past.