'Ghostbusters 3' Confirmed, and It'll Totally Ignore the 2016 Reboot

Who ya gonna call? Not the cast of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, apparently. Following the sexist backlash to Paul Feig’s reboot of the classic sci-fi horror movies, we’re now primed to get a direct sequel to the original Ghostbusters movies.

Entertainment Weekly reported Tuesday night that Jason Reitman will direct and co-write a new Ghostbusters film set in the present day that follows the original two films, skipping over the 2016 reboot.

“I have so much respect for what Paul created with those brilliant actresses, and would love to see more stories from them,” Reitman told EW. “However, this new movie will follow the trajectory of the original film.”

Jason Reitman previously directed Tully (2018), Up in the Air (2009), and Juno (2007) to name a few. He also happens to be the son of Ivan Reitman, who wrote and directed the original Ghostbusters and its maligned sequel.

This had led to speculation in the past that he might revive the old franchise, but in 2010, Reitman actually said that he’d never direct a third Ghostbusters film.

“I wouldn’t do Ghostbusters 3, that’s kind of his territory,” he told The Guardian, referring to his father. But almost a decade later, he’s changed his mind.

Jason Reitman grew up on the set of the original Ghostbusters movies and even had a minor role in the sequel. Now, he’s directing the third film with his father producing.

“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans,” Reitman told EW. “This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

It’s still unclear whether or not the sequel will bring back the classic characters, but it seems far more likely that we’ll get a next-generation team of Ghostbusters, especially because the new story is set in the present day.

“This is very early,” Reitman said. “And I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet.”

The new Ghostbusters will be released sometime in the summer of 2020.