There Could Be More 'Ghostbusters' On The Way

With any luck, the answer to "Who ya gonna call?" is gonna once again be Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. The Ghostbusters reboot is already a knock out, gathering the much-deserved applause and praise for the new direction it's taken with the source material. The formula was rock solid: Take a beloved '80s film, add a squad of bonkers-talented female comedians, swirl in a faultless director (Paul Feig) and uber-witty screenwriter (Katie Dippold), and lightly garnish with classic cameos. The result? A film we can all love as the summer hits a midpoint. Surely, in a cinematic landscape plagued with sequels, there might be room for one more? According to Sony producer Amy Pascal, more Ghostbusters movies could be on the way.

During the premiere, Pascal rejoiced: "I have been waiting for this moment all year! It's going to be endless. People are going to love this movie so much that they're going to demand more and more." In the case of Ghostbusters, I actually think Pascal might have a point. All the preparation has all been leading to this moment, this week: After months, nay, years of speculation and nervous hand-wringing, Ghostbusters is covering all our feels in ectoplasmic goodness. Was it any surprise, though, that this much-hyped reboot would actually turn out to be as good as we had all secretly pegged it to be?

Not only is this reboot's premise one with enough steam to keep it going for a few more films, I strongly believe it should keep going. When young girls come to the premiere in full Ghostbusters uniform, when there's a chance to turn the all-female squad into an animated series, or even when your cast is full-stop some of the most talented in the game, you can't simply ignore that. Those, to me, are positive signals resulting from a reboot that has low-key changed the way we consider what a reboot can manifest as in today's film landscape. A sequel, or even trilogy of new Ghostbusters films, complete with the female team, would have the staying power that some other nostalgic franchises (e.g. the Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles properties) appear to be lacking.

While this Ghostbusters reboot may only feel different because of the gender, what it's doing is asking, "Who exactly can be a Ghostbuster and how would they go about filling those shoes?" In 2016, that question gets a modern and timely answer: women can be Ghostbusters. If there is a push to keep this universe expanding or keep the possibilities "endless," as Pascal notes, then future Ghostbusters films can continue to be reflective of the times we're living in (read: a more empowered, feminist era where the public clamors for this reflected in their films).

I, for one, am totally on board for an actual endless number of Ghostbusters films. Considering all the amazing hype it's created for fans, old and new, for the last few months, I'm definitely ready for the good times (good slimes?) to keep on coming.

Images: Columbia Pictures; Giphy (2)