Ghostbusters fans had almost given up hope on ever seeing the franchise continuing. Obviously having dismissed the 2016 reboot, last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife arrived at the right time to prove that not only is the old gang still capable of busting ghosts but it was a big enough box office hit to ensure Ghostbusters 4 was green-lit. Now, actor Ernie Hudson is set to return in the fourth installment in the franchise, and has recently been giving an update on the scripting of the movie.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife delivered a fan-pleasing nostalgic hit last year, with a story that focussed on the grandchildren of original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler and the threat of Gozer once more coming to wreak havoc on the world. The movie’s post-credits scene set up another movie, with Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore bringing Ecto-1 back to the iconic New York firehouse, and it only took a few months for Sony to announce that movie would be heading into development. During an interview with ComicBook.com, Hudson said:

“I did read a version. I'm pretty sure they committed to doing another one. I'm very happy with it, but I also know this is early on. Jason has been incredible, and I really just love and appreciate him. I'm so thankful to be able to work with him. So, I'm excited about but... I haven't and I never assume anything. I am happy, though, to have Ghostbusters in my filmography. And I'm just really delighted when I see little kids, two and three years old, singing the song and being happy about it.”

Will All of the Ghostbusters Return For Ghostbusters 4?

Ghostbusters Afterlife
Sony Pictures Releasing

Ernie Hudson is pretty much guaranteed to return for Ghostbusters 4, but will the other stars return? Well, that probably depends on a number of factors. After spending decades attempting to get the original cast back together, with Bill Murray being a particular stumbling block for much of that time, the expected release date of December 2023 suggests that Sony doesn’t want to let the franchise go cold again.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife essentially featured cameo roles for the original cast members of the franchise, which included Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts in the equation. There was also a poignant role for the late Harold Ramis to play, and of course there was a new wave of potential Ghostbusters in McKenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard. So far it has not been revealed who of the Afterlife cast are signing on for more busting, but with rumors suggesting the story will revolve around Winston and potentially other Ghostbusters training up a new generation of busters it would be a shame if Ghostbusters 4 doesn’t build on its cast.

Ghostbusters 4 is expected to be helmed by Jason Reitman once again, but this time it will be without the help of his father, Ivan Reitman, who acted as producer on Ghostbusters: Afterlife but sadly passed away just a few months after its release. It is obvious that the new movie will be dedicated to Reitman in a similar way that Afterlife honored Ramis, and once again, that will bring a certain amount of pressure to do right by the original movies’ director in the latest sequel.