Ghostbusters sequel unlikely after box-office loss

A sequel to Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot looks unlikely after disappointing at the box-office.

When Ghostbusters opened last month, Sony announced that a sequel to the all-female reboot was a certainty:

“While nothing has been officially announced yet, there’s no doubt in my mind it will happen,” said Sony distribution president Rory Bruer.

However, with Ghostbusters earning much lower than expected, making just under $180 million at the global box office so far, a sequel seems very doubtful. According to The Hollywood Reporter, box-office experts say it will have trouble getting to $225 million, while the studio has said it would need to make $300 million to break-even.

Sony hasn’t commented on whether a sequel has been scrapped but the studio does seem to be turning its attention to an animated Ghostbusters feature, likely to hit theaters in 2019. As well as an animated TV series, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force, set for 2018.

We also know there’s not much chance of Feig returning to helm another Ghostbusters production, after he told The Huffington Post: “No, no, no. No, I will not,” when asked if he would return for another reboot.

Stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon are said to be signed for two more sequels but box-office analyst Jeff Bock doesn’t see that happening:

“Ghostbusters is on ice until further notice, I just can’t fathom the creative talents behind it – Feig, McCarthy, Wiig, etc. – slogging out another one when the reception to the first one was so mediocre.”

Sony have defended the box-office figures but it still doesn’t look good for the franchise.

“With multiple revenue streams, including consumer products, gaming, location-based entertainment, continued international rollout, and huge third-party promotional partnerships that mitigated costs, the bottom line, even before co-financing, is not remotely close to that number.” says a Sony rep.