People weren't afraid of no ghosts during the weekend. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the continuation of the much-loved supernatural comedy franchise, exceeded the expectations of box office analysts by amassing $60 million worldwide, reports Variety. The film easily swamped Will Smith movie King Richard, which opened to disappointing $5.7 million on the domestic circuit, despite rave reviews.
Afterlife is an act of passing the baton, with original Ghostbusters helmer Ivan Reitman passing duties to his son Jason (Juno; Young Adult). Despite a mixed critical response, audiences seemed to have lapped up the nostalgic value of the story in which youngsters Phoebe (Mackenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) discover their remarkable Ghostbusters family legacy. History is writ large throughout the movie, from the quotations of Elmer Bernstein's 1984 score on Rob Simonsen's soundtrack to the expected roll-call of cameos.
In stark comparison to the controversial Paul Feig reboot from 2016, Afterlife has emerged as a far more profitable proposition. The 2016 movie cost a hefty $144 million but grossed just $229 million worldwide by the end of its run. Given that Afterlife cost a fraction of that, at 'just' $75 million, it's already within a hair's breadth of recouping, and then exceeding, its production costs.
With America about to head into its Thanksgiving weekend, and the only real family box office competition coming from Disney's Encanto, there's every chance Ghostbusters: Afterlife could turn a tidy profit. Does that mean that the end credits stinger will be realised, establishing a spin-off franchise featuring the young cast? We'll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, if you can't wait to see the movie again, click here to book your tickets for Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
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