Ghostbusters is preparing to return to New York in more ways than one, with animation on the way and now a possible live-action film entering the conversation.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman (via Dark Horizons), Sony Pictures is developing a movie titled Ghostbusters: Nightmare on 34th Street.
The project is reportedly being written by Josh Miller, whose credits include the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Violent Night, the action-comedy starring David Harbour. Sony has not confirmed the film or Miller’s involvement, and no further details have been reported.
Related: ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot Actor Says Her Character Will Return in New Film
The title, however, may offer a hint about the direction of the story.
Ghostbusters: Nightmare on 34th Street sounds like a play on Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 Christmas classic, raising the possibility that the Ghostbusters could face a seasonal supernatural threat. But it also sounds like a potential play on A Nightmare on Elm Street, the horror franchise that features Freddy Krueger.
But that’s all just speculation for now: there’s no confirmed plot, and the title alone does not confirm that the movie will be set during the holidays, or that it will be more horror-aligned than previous entries.
A winter setting wouldn’t be entirely new territory for the franchise, though. Ghostbusters II (1989) takes place during the Christmas season and builds toward the New Year, and most recently, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) saw Manhattan dipped into a supernatural winter.
Whether Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts, and the newer Ghostbusters ensemble Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard, return remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Netflix has another major project confirmed. Ghostbusters: Night Shift is an animated series set in New York in 1994, five years after Ghostbusters II. Its young characters aren’t trained paranormal investigators, but are forced to use Proton Packs when a new wave of supernatural terror hits the city.
Dan Aykroyd, Jason Reitman, and Gil Kenan are among the executive producers, and the series is slated for 2027.
Whether Nightmare on 34th Street will continue the film timeline or tell a standalone story is unknown. Until Sony makes an announcement, the reported project should be treated with caution.
Would you like to see another Ghostbusters movie? Let us know in the comments!
