102-493: Triumph Films (also known as Triumph Releasing Corporation ) was an American independent film studio division of Sony Pictures Entertainment that geared towards theatre and direct-to-video film production and distribution. It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between Columbia Pictures and the French company Gaumont to distribute foreign films in the US. In 1984, Marcie Bloom, who
204-420: A reboot of Ghostbusters featuring an all-female cast. Feig had been approached by Reitman and Sony's Amy Pascal to direct the sequel, but Feig turned this down, feeling the concept of the former Ghostbusters passing their roles to a new set of Ghostbusters would not allow him to give the new cast their proper time in the spotlight. These talks resulted in the concept of the reboot as the best way to progress
306-934: A Millionaire? , acquired from the original production company Celador, and You Are What You Eat for £114.3 million ($ 223.2 million in US dollars). In 2011, the Sony Pictures computer network was breached and approximately one million user accounts associated with the SonyPictures.com website were leaked. On November 18, 2012, Sony Pictures announced it has passed $ 4 billion with the success of releases: Skyfall , The Amazing Spider-Man , 21 Jump Street , Men in Black 3 , Hotel Transylvania , Underworld: Awakening , The Vow , and Resident Evil: Retribution . On November 21, 2013, SPE and Sony Entertainment's CEO Michael Lynton announced that SPE will shift emphasis from movies to television by cutting its 2014 film slate. It
408-419: A class on the paranormal at a local college. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters were Kylie Griffin, a genius, expert on the occult, and female counterpart to Egon; Eduardo Rivera, a hip, cynical Latino slacker and counterpart to Peter; Garrett Miller, a wheelchair-bound young athlete and counterpart to Winston; and Roland Jackson,
510-446: A deal with WarnerMedia Europe to stream its theatrical films on HBO Max for Central and Eastern Europe countries. On November 28, 2022, it was announced that Legendary Entertainment reached a distribution deal with Sony to distribute its future slate of films. However, this deal does not include the Dune and MonsterVerse films as they will remain at Warner Bros. The deal came after
612-459: A few months in a Martha's Vineyard bomb shelter , according to Ramis on the DVD commentary track for the movie. When Belushi died from a drug overdose, Aykroyd and Reitman eventually turned to Bill Murray to replace Belushi's role. Belushi's likeness was later used as the starting design for Slimer. Ghostbusters was a box office hit, prompting Columbia Pictures to produce an animated series based on
714-547: A framing device of having the alternate version of Manhattan exist between moments in time, and featured situations of constant gridlock and where everyone spoke a different language in an otherwise unmodified version of the city. Ramis felt this approach would also reflect the "mundane" qualities of the first two films. Murray was still opposed to the film, according to both Ramis and Hudson as well as Aykroyd. In 2009, Ramis shot down rumors that Chris Farley , Ben Stiller or Chris Rock had been under consideration to appear in
816-494: A joint buyout with Apollo Global Management . Sony and Apollo submitted a $ 26 billion all-cash offer to acquire Paramount Global on May 2, 2024. A special committee of Paramount’s board of directors met on May 5, 2024, and signed off on beginning deal talks with Sony and Apollo. Later, announced in July of the same year, Paramount will merge with Skydance Media . On June 12, 2024, Sony Pictures acquired Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for
918-603: A label for low-budget and direct-to-video releases. After being shut down in 1997, the Triumph Films label was re-activated in 2003. The label went dormant again, becoming an in-name-only division of Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation. In 2014, the label was revived yet again for the release of The Remaining . Their direct-to-video role has been taken by Destination Films within Sony. Notable films include To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday , The Ambulance , Brainscan , Magic in
1020-410: A lifetime", but Murray remained adamant about not participating in it. Production on the film continued, working around Murray's lack of participation, and was considering the possibility of recasting Murray's character. This version of the sequel stalled again, and by July 2012, a new writing team was engaged to revamp the screenplay. Aykroyd said that "[the screenplay has] got to be perfect. That's
1122-517: A merger plan, the two television businesses, comprising Columbia/Embassy Television and Tri-Star Television , merged altogether to form a new incarnation of the original Columbia Pictures Television . The merger enabled three top Tri-Star executives, namely Arnold Messner, who ran Tri-Star Telecommunications , Victor A. Kaufman, who ran the main Tri-Star Pictures studio, and Scott Siegler , who ran Tri-Star Television to stay on, while four of
SECTION 10
#17329483617271224-399: A new cast, starring Kristen Wiig , Melissa McCarthy , Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon as the all-female Ghostbuster team, along with Chris Hemsworth as their male receptionist. Additionally, Aykroyd, Murray, Weaver, Hudson, and Potts all had small cameo roles. The film was released on July 15, 2016, as Ghostbusters , with the home media released being rebranded to Ghostbusters: Answer
1326-482: A new director for the film. Over mid-2014, Sony pursued a short list of potential directors for the film. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks to direct the film, but passed on the project. Ruben Fleischer had also been considered. By late 2014, Paul Feig had been attached as the potential director for the third film, but Sony officially announced in August that Feig had been brought aboard to helm
1428-410: A prequel script with the production title of Ghostbusters High , and that there are two follow-up projects to Ghostbusters: Afterlife in development. The prequel will explore New Jersey during 1969, when the primary characters first met as teenagers. The project is being considered alternatively for a television series, with Jason Reitman involved with its development. Aykroyd stated that he envisions
1530-406: A production of Ghost Corps and Sony Pictures Animation . Writing for the series had begun by March 2024. In August 2024, the series was greenlit at Netflix with Elliott Kalan joining as writer and executive producer and was revealed to be CG animated with its tone being expected to be similar to Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire . In May 2019, Aykroyd said that he wrote
1632-460: A script by Drew Pearce , while Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan would produce the project. In 2016, the project was reportedly cancelled, with the Russo brothers no longer attached. Ivan Reitman later stated that he was not involved with the project, but it never got past early-development stages, with 30-some pages of script written. The second Ghostbusters -related project reported during this time
1734-428: A script co-written by himself and Gil Kenan , while Ivan Reitman served as a producer. The cast includes Mckenna Grace , Finn Wolfhard , Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd , and were joined by Logan Kim and Celeste O'Connor , among others. Additionally, Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, Potts and Weaver appear in supporting roles, reprising their characters from the first two films. The film received mixed to positive reviews, but
1836-566: A script draft for Ghostbusters III includes the Ghostbusters developing a machine to transport themselves to an alternate Manhattan to save New York. Ghostbusters , the first film in the series, is a 1984 sci-fi comedy film about three New York City scientists. After they are fired from Columbia University , they start their own business investigating and capturing ghosts. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver , Annie Potts , and Ernie Hudson, it
1938-516: A script for a potential third film in the series, titled Ghostbusters III: Hellbent . The concept had the characters transported to an alternate version of Manhattan called Manhellton, where the people and places are " hellish " versions of their originals and where the Ghostbusters meet the devil (a modified version of this script was later used in Ghostbusters: The Video Game ). At the time, Aykroyd and Ramis stated that while there
2040-405: A specialized set of equipment in the 1984 film, and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction includes similar equipment to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts. Their equipment includes proton packs , used to control and lasso ghosts; ghost traps, used to capture ghosts; and PKE meters, handheld devices used to detect psychokinetic energy. In addition to the main technology used in the series,
2142-471: A studious African-American machinery whiz and counterpart to Ray. The show was given the Los Angeles Commission on Disabilities Award for making one of its main characters (Garrett) disabled, but universally relatable. In June 2016, a new animated series titled, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force , was announced to be in development, with an initial targeted release of early-2018. The series was to be set in
SECTION 20
#17329483617272244-443: A sum which are yet-to-be disclosed. This marked the first time in more than 75 years that a major Hollywood studio would own a theater chain, as the 1948 federal ruling from United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. prevented them from owning exhibition companies until 2020. Alamo Drafthouse will continue to operate their film festival Fantastic Fest , which is included in the acquisition. In September 2024, Sony Group announced
2346-464: A target release window of late 2011 to 2012, and Reitman had committed to directing the film. The question remained about Murray's participation on the film. Murray said in a 2010 talk show appearance that "I'd do it only if my character was killed off in the first reel". Aykroyd had said that Murray had read the Stupnitsky-Eisenberg script, which Aykroyd claimed gave Murray the "comic role of
2448-461: Is based on the Ecto-1. The movie Be Kind Rewind includes a sequence in which Jack Black , Mos Def , and others recreate the first movie using props and costumes made by themselves, a guest appearance by Sigourney Weaver , and a version of the theme sung by Jack Black. On June 9, 2013, a trailer for a documentary called Spook Central , featuring clips from Ghostbusters alongside discussions of
2550-602: Is operated as a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc. , which is itself a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony Group Corporation . Based at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California as one of the "Big Five" major American film studios , it encompasses Sony's motion picture , television production and distribution units. All of SPE's divisions are members of
2652-455: Is the main character (such as Homecoming and its sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home ), while Disney would distribute MCU films where Spider-Man appears without being the main character. On January 22, 2014, SPE folded its technology unit into the various cores of its businesses. In April, Sony Pictures arranged a film financing deal worth $ 200 million with LStar Capital , the credit venture of Lone Star Capital and Citibank , half in debt and
2754-463: The American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghost Chasers . Aykroyd thought: "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually". The original story as written by Aykroyd
2856-599: The Delaware General Corporation Law . Sony also completed a tender offer for shares of common stock of the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company on November 6, 1989, and acquired the company 3 days later. The acquisition cost Sony $ 4.9 billion ($ 3.55 billion for shares and $ 1.4 billion of long-term debt) and was backed (financed) by five major Japanese banks Mitsui , Tokyo , Fuji , Mitsubishi and Industrial Bank of Japan . The company
2958-577: The Ghostly Trio , Stantz sheepishly tells the new owners, "Who ya gonna call? Someone else." In 2016, independent filmmakers produced a video titled Ghostheads , which showcases and profiles various "Ghostheads" (self-named fans of the franchise ala " Trekkers " for Star Trek ), and different individual franchises throughout the United States and Canada. In 2018, the Carabinieri of Pavia named
3060-731: The Motion Picture Association (MPA). Sony's film franchises include The Karate Kid , Ghostbusters , Jumanji , Men in Black , Spider-Man , and Sony's Spider Man universe . On September 1, 1987, The Coca-Cola Company announced plans to spin off Columbia Pictures , which it had owned since 1982. Under this arrangement, Coca-Cola would sell its entertainment assets (Coca-Cola's Entertainment Business Sector) to TriStar Pictures , of which it owned 39.6%. Tri-Star would be renamed Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (CPE), with Coca-Cola owning 49%, its shareholders owning 31%, and Tri-Star's shareholders owning 20%. As part of
3162-506: The Russo brothers pitched the movie to the studio, and was confirmed to supplement and be in development simultaneously with Paul Feig's Ghostbusters: Answer the Call , and intended to be the first installment in a series of films inspired by Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy . Tatum was being courted to star in the film, with Chris Pratt viewed as his potential co-star. By March 2015,
Triumph Films - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-432: The 1980s. The American Film Institute ranked it 28th in its list of the top 100 comedies of all time . IGN voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever in 2005. The TV Channel Bravo ranked Ghostbusters number 28 on their 100 Funniest Movies list in 2006. The second film, Ghostbusters II , was released on June 16, 1989. Taking place five years after the first, the Ghostbusters have lost their credibility due to
3366-619: The 2016 Ghostbusters , Reitman stated that Sony Pictures had been coming off a series of flops, and were looking into a property comparable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe from which they could pull sequels, side stories, and other options for several years to follow. Reitman approached Sony with the idea of "Ghost Corps", a series of films based on the Ghostbusters franchise. Sony founded Ghost Corps in 2015, with Reitman and Aykroyd overseeing its productions. Ghostbusters became
3468-495: The Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Award nomination for " Best Original Song ". The music video produced for the song is considered one of the key productions in the early music video era, and was a No. 1 MTV video. Directed by Reitman, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson, the video organically integrated footage of the film in a specially designed haunted house, lined with neon in its entirety. The film footage
3570-661: The Burbank Studios and acquired Lorimar Studios , previously the MGM lot, from Warner Bros. On October 31, 1989, Sony completed a friendly takeover bid for the rest of shares (51%) of CPE, which was a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KPE), and acquired 99.3% of the common stock of the company. On November 8, 1989, Sony completed the acquisition by a "short-form" merger of its wholly owned subsidiary Sony Columbia Acquisition Corporation into CPE under
3672-826: The California-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, but are instead subsidiaries of the main Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. Ghostbusters (franchise) The Ghostbusters franchise consists of American supernatural comedies , based on an original concept created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984. The plot follows a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and eliminate ghosts , paranormal manifestations, demigods, and demons. The franchise expanded with licensed action figures , books, comics, video games, television series, theme park attractions, and other branded merchandise. The Ghostbusters use
3774-443: The Call . It received mixed reviews, and grossed US$ 229 million off a US$ 144 million budget, after accounting for marketing, a $ 70 million loss. In October 2015, Ivan Reitman announced that he was producing an animated film for Sony Pictures Animation , with Fletcher Moules attached to the project as both animator and director. The film will tell a story from the perspective of ghosts. The film would begin production following
3876-635: The Coca-Cola Entertainment Business Sector departed, namely Barbara Corday , who ran Columbia / Embassy Television as president, Herman Rush and Peter Seale, who ran Coca-Cola Telecommunications , and Brian McGrath, who was the president of the Coca-Cola Entertainment Business Sector. In early December 1987, former Coke EBS vice president Kenneth Lemberger exited the post to join Tri-Star Pictures , displacing Roger Faxon, who had joined Columbia Pictures as senior vice president of
3978-546: The Columbia Pictures label. On January 5, 1988, the then-newly founded Columbia Pictures Entertainment announced that they would revive the Triumph brand as a new worldwide subsidiary, Triumph Releasing Corporation; this incarnation of Triumph provided administrative services related to the distribution of Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures in the U.S. and Canada, while internationally, Triumph would be responsible for
4080-706: The Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group) by merging Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures in 1998, revitalizing Columbia's former television division Screen Gems. This in effect re-united the MGM studio name, with the MGM main studio lot, although somewhat confusingly, the bulk of the pre-May 1986 original MGM library ended up at Time Warner via the Ted Turner - Kirk Kerkorian " Turner Entertainment Co. " transactions. The post-April 1986 MGM library consists of acquisitions of various third-party libraries, such as
4182-586: The Entertainment Sector's feature production deal with Nelson Entertainment and its investment in Castle Rock Entertainment , and TeleVentures ; a company it continues to own, which was linked to three independent companies: Tri-Star Pictures , Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas Productions . Merv Griffin Enterprises continue to function as a separate operation. A new company
Triumph Films - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-599: The Ghostbusters Building, and along with the Hook and Ladder Firehouse, has become a real-world New York City tourist attraction. In May 2010, the group Improv Everywhere, at the invitation of the New York Public Library, staged a Ghostbusters -themed "mission" in the same reading room used in the film. The video game Burnout Paradise pays homage to the franchise with a car titled the 'Manhattan Spirit', which
4386-490: The Orion Pictures catalogue, leading to MGM's 2014 remake of RoboCop . In July 2000, a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation created a fictitious film critic, David Manning , who gave consistently good reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures that generally received poor reviews amongst real critics. Sony later pulled the ads, suspended Manning's creator and his supervisor and paid fines to
4488-730: The Water (co-released by TriStar Pictures ), The Golden Laws , Steamboy (co-distributed by Destination Films ) and the critically panned SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 . Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE , and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. ) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and recorded videos) through multiple platforms. Through an intermediate holding company called Sony Film Holding Inc., it
4590-404: The amount of property damage they have caused, but identify a new threat to New York City after discovering a river of ectoplasmic slime that reacts to the great deal of negative emotions within the city. Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Hudson, Weaver, Potts, and Moranis reprised their roles from the first film, and were joined by Peter MacNicol and Wilhelm von Homburg , among others. After the success of
4692-615: The appointment of SPE president and COO Ravi Ahuja as CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment effective January 2, 2025, succeeding Tony Vinciquerra, who will remain chairman until the end of December 2025. In November 2014, the Sony Pictures computer network was compromised by a group of hackers named Guardians of Peace , disabling many computers. Later the same week, five of Sony Pictures' movies were leaked, including some not yet released (such as Fury and Annie ), as well as confidential data about 47,000 current and former Sony employees. Film historian Wheeler Winston Dixon suggested that
4794-744: The company provided administrative services related to distribution of its films in North America, while internationally, would be responsible for the direction of each studio. On September 28, 1989, Sony obtained an option to purchase all of The Coca-Cola Company 's stock (approximately 54 million shares or 49% of the outstanding shares) in CPE for $ 27 per share. The next day, Sony also announced that it reached an agreement with Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPEC; formerly Barris Industries , Inc.) to acquire CPE for $ 200 million when Sony hired Peter Guber and Jon Peters to be its co-chairmen. This
4896-501: The completion and release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife . The project was reconfirmed in June 2022, with Jennifer Kluska and Chris Prynoski as directors and Brenda Hsueh as the writer of the film. In December 2014, the Sony Pictures hack revealed that an action comedy spin-off film, centered around another team of Ghostbusters was in development. Channing Tatum , Reid Carolin , and
4998-645: The eight-story, 260,000sq ft building originally designed by architect Maxwell Starkman and known as Sony Pictures Plaza, which was originally the headquarters of MGM Studios and later Sony Pictures Studios, was sold to Runyon Group and fellow developer LBA Realty for $ 159 million. Headquartered in Culver City, California , U.S., SPE comprises various studios and entertainment brands, including Affirm Films , Columbia Pictures , Screen Gems , Sony Pictures Classics , TriStar Pictures , Crunchyroll , Game Show Network and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema . The following are other Sony Pictures divisions that are not subsidiaries of
5100-494: The film was officially confirmed to be in active-development. Written by Drew Pearce , the film was seen as an expansion of the Ghostbusters multiverse. Ivan Reitman described its development as being in line with the plans and production bible that they had created thirty years prior during the original film; the purpose of the project was "to build the Ghostbusters into the universe it always promised it might become". Joe and Anthony Russo were in early negotiations to direct
5202-467: The film's high production costs, and felt that it had become too risky of a proposition. Ramis also expressed that Murray had become "kind of obstructionist" about the film, further souring the film to Columbia. The fate of the script remained unknown until 2006, when Ramis affirmed that a variation of Aykroyd's Hellbent script was still being considered for the sequel; to reduce the need for special effects and reduce production costs, Ramis had conceived
SECTION 50
#17329483617275304-435: The film, The Real Ghostbusters (renamed to avoid a conflict with Filmation 's existing cartoon, Ghostbusters ), as well as to seek out a sequel . Aykroyd and Ramis had not been conformable with a sequel, believing the first film was meant to be self-contained, but eventually agreed. A second sequel to Ghostbusters had been of interest to Aykroyd and Ramis over the course of the 1990s. During this period Aykroyd wrote
5406-430: The film. Lack of interest and motivation continued to hinder progress until 2008. In September, Columbia hired screenwriters Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg to write a new screenplay for a Ghostbusters film, still set to revolve around a new cast of Ghostbusters, with uncertain involvement from the original cast. Aykroyd and Ramis stated filming for this script was expected to start in late 2009 or mid-2010, with
5508-402: The film. Ivan Reitman, the Russo brothers, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin , and Peter Kiernan were to serve as producers. By June however, Tatum confirmed that the project had been delayed in favor of other projects. In February 2022, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller announced that they had been attached to the project during its development stages, also saying that there is still potential at
5610-435: The first film and the animated series The Real Ghostbusters , Columbia Pictures pressed the producers to make a sequel. Aykroyd, Ramis, and Reitman were uncomfortable with this at first, as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. The sequel earned US$ 215 million off a US$ 37 million budget, but received lukewarm reviews compared to
5712-476: The first film branded with the Ghost Corps name. During the production of Ghostbusters (2016), two additional Ghostbusters related projects emerged, tied to the Ghost Corps studio. In March 2015, Deadline wrote that an all-male lead Ghostbusters film was being developed by Sony 's Ghost Corps label, with Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt starring. Anthony and Joe Russo signed on as co-directors, from
5814-467: The first film. The third film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife , was released on November 19, 2021. Taking place thirty-two years after the second, the Ghostbusters have disbanded and their legacy is mostly forgotten. A single mother and her children move to an Oklahoma farm they inherited from her estranged father, Egon Spengler , who went on a mission to prevent an apocalypse. The film was directed by Jason Reitman , son of original director Ivan Reitman, with
5916-405: The franchise; this also allowed Feig to avoid issues with the canon from the previous films. Feig partnered with Katie Dippold for the screenplay. Production started in mid-2015, and the film was released in July 2016 under the name Ghostbusters ; it was later rebranded in home media as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call to distinguish it from the first film in the franchise. During production of
6018-462: The growing fanbase of young children. Additionally, the characterizations became more one-dimensional, and the animation became less detailed. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of writer J. Michael Straczynski . Dave Coulier of Full House fame came on to fill the role of Peter (voiced by Lorenzo Music ), Buster Jones took over Winston from Arsenio Hall , and Kath Soucie took on Janine after Laura Summer voiced
6120-402: The hack and subsequent leaks, calling it a "malicious criminal act", while also criticizing WikiLeaks for describing the leaked content as public domain . Seth Rogen has expressed doubts about North Korea being responsible for the 2014 Sony hack. Based on the timeline of events and the amount of information hacked, he believes the hack may have been conducted by a Sony employee. In 2014,
6222-467: The hack, which exposed the inner workings of the studio, was "not a pretty picture," and served as a "wake-up call to the entire industry." The hack also revealed some other documents, emails between Hollywood moguls referring to Barack Obama 's cinematic tastes, a possible partnership with Marvel Studios for the inclusion of the superhero Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War , which
SECTION 60
#17329483617276324-415: The jumpsuit looking like the iconic Ghostbusters suit with "Ghosts Exposed" decals. The first film sparked the catchphrases , "Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't afraid of no ghost". Both came from the theme song performed by Ray Parker Jr. , who wrote it in a day and a half. The song was a huge hit, staying at No. 1 for three weeks on Billboard' s Hot 100 chart and No. 1 for two weeks on
6426-440: The main entrance, and is visited often by fans. This has led to an annual fundraiser, with a celebration at the firehouse planned each year in early June to coincide with "Ghostbusters Day." Grand Theft Auto Online features references to Ghostbusters during the 2023 and 2024 Halloween updates. A car that looks like Ecto-1 can receive a "Ghosts Exposed" livery. A jumpsuit is available to all players who capture 10 ghosts on film,
6528-424: The negative impact of the merger of Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery . On November 14, 2023, Sony Pictures unveiled a special centennial anniversary logo for its Columbia Pictures unit ahead of its 100th anniversary of its founding on January 10, 2024. On April 18, 2024, it was reported that Sony was interested in acquiring Paramount Global through
6630-581: The next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age. The film was directed by Gil Kenan, with a script co-written by himself and Jason Reitman, while Reitman served as a producer. Grace, Wolfhard, Coon, Rudd, Kim and O'Connor reprise their roles from Afterlife , and were joined by Kumail Nanjiani , and Patton Oswalt , among others. Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, Potts and Atherton appear in supporting roles, reprising their characters from
6732-410: The original two films was confirmed to be in development the following year, with it originally being scheduled for July 10, 2020. Ivan Reitman's son Jason Reitman directed the film, with a script co-written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan . Ivan Reitman served as a producer, while The Montecito Picture Company worked on production. Ivan described the film as "passing the torch". Jason Reitman used
6834-399: The other in equity to fund most of SPE's film slate for several years. SPE was originally considering a $ 300 million deal with Blue Anchor Entertainment, led by Bloom Hergott partner John LaViolette and former investment banker & producer Joseph M. Singer, and backed by Longhorn Capital Management and Deutsche Bank, which was held up by regulatory matters. In November 2019, Sony purchased
6936-466: The perceived meanings in the film, mimicking the style of the documentary Room 237 , was uploaded to YouTube. The movie's catchphrase, "Who you gonna call?", has been used in other media, like the 1990s Casper cartoon series. In the 1995 film version of Casper , Dan Aykroyd appears in character as Ray Stantz having been hired to remove the Whipstaff Manor of ghosts but having been foiled by
7038-497: The plan to arrest an art thief who used a ghostly bed sheet to be unrecognizable "Operazione Ghostbusters" ("Operation Ghostbusters"). In 2021, The Buffalo Ghostbusters asked fans from all around the world to raise money for a new full-size replica Ghostbusters sign, which it later donated to Hook & Ladder 8 in New York City, commonly known as "The Ghostbusters Firehouse." The sign now prominently hangs outside year-round, above
7140-530: The previous films. The film received mixed to positive reviews, and earned $ 201 million on a $ 100 million budget. The 2016 film, Ghostbusters , is a relaunch of the franchise which takes place in an alternate universe, featuring a new cast of characters, but follows a similar narrative as the original film. A group of eccentric researchers make discoveries within paranormal incidents with their intentions being to detect and capture ghosts, and protect New York City from those spirits. The film principally features
7242-452: The previous series), secretary Janine Melnitz , and the ghost Slimer. The premise is similar to the plot of Ghostbusters II . Set years after the end of The Real Ghostbusters , a lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each has gone his separate way, except for Egon, who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies, and teach
7344-585: The project as "a perfect button on all [the filmmakers have] done up to that point". This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in multiple installments in the franchise. The concept of the first film was inspired by Dan Aykroyd 's own fascination with the paranormal (and a history of parapsychology in his own family), and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live alum John Belushi . Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology in
7446-573: The remaining 42% stake in GSN from AT&T , placing it under the direction of its television division. In April 2021, Sony signed a first-look deal with Netflix , allowing the streaming service to host their films following their theatrical runs and home media releases. That same month, the company also entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Company for its films to stream across Disney's streaming and linear platforms, including Disney+ and Hulu . In February 2022, Sony signed
7548-502: The role. Straczynski returned to the series temporarily in the 1990 season. The only cast members who remained throughout the entire series were Frank Welker (voice of Stantz and Slimer) and Maurice LaMarche (voice of Spengler). The show was cancelled in 1991. Extreme Ghostbusters was a sequel and spin-off of The Real Ghostbusters that aired in late 1997. The show featured a new team of younger Ghostbusters led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (with LaMarche reprising his role from
7650-430: The sales, marketing and distribution of Columbia and Tri-Star films under the direction of each individual studio. It was officially incorporated on March 24, 1988. In 1989, Triumph began to distribute films from Crédit Lyonnais 's Epic Productions Inc. . On November 23, 1994, Triumph Releasing Corporation was renamed as Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation, and the Triumph name was spun off as Triumph Films, now primarily
7752-431: The script that should Murray want to participate, they could account for him. Eventually, the revised script had been completed with plans to start production in 2015. However, Harold Ramis died on February 24, 2014. Initially, Sony/Columbia said that Ramis's role in the film had been minimal and would not affect production, but Reitman felt that the screenplay had to be reworked to better account for this, and approached
7854-439: The script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman . Aykroyd pitched his story to director and producer Ivan Reitman , who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion, the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the final screenplay which Aykroyd and Harold Ramis finalised during
7956-594: The sequel would be made, due to the film performing under expectation at the box office. In response to Feig's comments, Reitman asserted that "there's going to be many other Ghostbusters movies, they're just in development right now". In an interview in November 2018, Aykroyd spoke of a new script being developed for a Ghostbusters film that would potentially bring together himself, Murray, and Hudson back in their previous roles, even considering Murray's previous reluctance to return. A new Ghostbusters film connected to
8058-474: The starring roles, while the original cast members would return in supporting roles, with the exception of Peter (Murray) having died off screen. This was framed to have the new Ghostbusters help Ray, Egon, and Winston with their struggling business after Peter had left to be with Dana; ultimately, Aykroyd had rewritten a version of the script that he said that Murray and Reitman would take part in, but by 2002, according to Aykroyd, Columbia had expressed concern over
8160-458: The state of Connecticut and to fans who saw the reviewed films in the US. It expanded its operations on April 8, 2005, when a Sony-led consortium acquired the legendary Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), in a US$ 4.8 billion leveraged buyout , through the holding company MGM Holdings Inc. On June 4, 2008, SPE's wholly owned group 2JS Productions B.V. acquired Dutch production company 2waytraffic N.V., famous for Who Wants to Be
8262-478: The studio that the film will be green-lit in the future. In February 2024, Kenan revealed that ideas for multiple future films in the Ghostbusters franchise had been discussed. Kenan specifically mentioned the Mini-Pufts storyline as something he and Reitman would like to expand upon. The Mini-Pufts are featured in the film's post-credits scene. In October 2024, Kenan confirmed that a sequel to Frozen Empire
8364-405: The studio with his concerns. Following his meetings with Sony, Reitman instead decided to drop out as director of the film, a combination of the impact of Ramis' death on his outlook, the struggles to get a third Ghostbusters film made, and a desire to work on smaller projects such as the recently completed Draft Day . Reitman committed to Sony to remain on in production and helped Sony look for
8466-422: The studio. The merger was approved by shareholders on December 15, 1987, and it was completed two days later. Columbia and Tri-Star brands would be used as separate and autonomous production entities, and would be part of CPE whole, along with the prior assets, units and commitments of the former Coca-Cola Entertainment Business Sector, which included all feature, TV, home video, and pay cable operations as well as
8568-432: The title " Rust City " during the development and pre-production stages to keep the project a secret. After the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, Aykroyd expressed interest in having the surviving cast of the original Ghostbusters team reprise their roles in up to three sequels. In April 2022, it was announced that a sequel to Afterlife was in early development. This was confirmed by Jason Reitman under
8670-460: The whole thing. There's no point in doing it unless it's perfect". Etan Cohen was hired as lead scriptwriter for this version. The new script still centered on a wholly new cast, this time as students from Columbia University that become the new Ghostbusters due to discoveries from their research, with the original Ghostbusters actors, excluding Murray, reprising their roles in the supporting cast. Aykroyd stated that they left enough variability in
8772-464: The working title Firehouse two months later. With the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The ghostbusters franchise hit 1 billion dollars worldwide. According to the director commentary on the Ghostbusters DVD, the movie's cultural impact was felt almost immediately. The building that was Dana Barrett's apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as
8874-440: The year 2050, following a new team of Ghostbusters who capture ghosts from around the world. In August 2017, Reitman revealed that the series had been postponed to prioritize development on the planned Ghostbusters animated spin-off film. An animated streaming television series by Netflix was announced in June 2022. The series will be produced by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, both who produced Ghostbusters: Afterlife , and as
8976-488: Was a commercial success, earning $ 204 million on a $ 75 million budget. The fourth film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , was released on March 22, 2024. Taking place three years after the third, the Spengler family decide to leave Summerville, Oklahoma, and go back to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – and help the original Ghostbusters, who have developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to
9078-631: Was all led by Norio Ohga , who was the president and CEO of Sony during that time. The hiring of Guber and Peters by Sony to run Columbia was conflicted by a previous contract the producers had signed at Warner Bros. Time Warner 's chairman, Steve Ross , threatened Sony with a lawsuit for breach of contract . The lawsuit would be subsequently dropped when Sony sold half-interest in Columbia House and cable distribution rights to Columbia's feature films, TV movies, and miniseries to Warner Bros. That same agreement also saw Columbia sell its 35% interest in
9180-620: Was also announced on the same day, that there would be more Spider-Man sequels and spin-offs, though on February 10, 2015, Sony Pictures eventually signed a deal with Disney 's Marvel Studios to allow Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , beginning with Captain America: Civil War , before appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming which was released on July 7, 2017. The deal also allowed Sony to distribute and have creative control on any MCU film where Spider-Man
9282-399: Was an animated film, produced by Reitman and distributed by Sony Pictures Animation . Fletcher Moules was hired to oversee the project as both an animator and the director. The film will be told from the perspective of ghosts. Following the release of Ghostbusters in 2016, Sony Pictures announced that a sequel to the film was in development. In November, Feig expressed his doubts that
9384-459: Was formed in early 1988 with the Tri-Star name to take over the studio's operations. In early January 1988, CPE announced that they would revive the Triumph branding for the new worldwide subsidiary, Triumph Releasing Corporation , which was functioned as a theatrical distributor, marketing and promotion for Columbia and Tri-Star films, and named Patrick N. Williamson as president of the unit and
9486-520: Was formerly of the New York Film Festival, joined Triumph Films to serve as New York publicity director (Bloom would later co-found Sony Pictures Classics ). In 1985, Triumph Films announced that they would cut back down on their production slate, focusing on foreign-language films with English subtitles. Shortly afterwards, Gaumont decided to cut ties, and Columbia Pictures, now the sole owner, decided to shutter Triumph Films, and fold it into
9588-504: Was in the works. From 1986 to 1991, Columbia Pictures Television and DIC Entertainment produced an animated spin-off television series created by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, entitled The Real Ghostbusters . "The Real" was added to the title due to a dispute with Filmation and its Ghostbusters properties . The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Venkman, Stantz, Spengler, Zeddemore, their secretary Melnitz, and their mascot ghost Slimer. The Real Ghostbusters
9690-542: Was intercut with a humorous performance by Parker and featured cameo appearances by celebrities who joined in the call and response chorus, including Chevy Chase , Irene Cara , John Candy , Nickolas Ashford , Melissa Gilbert , Jeffrey Tambor , George Wendt , Al Franken , Danny DeVito , Carly Simon , Peter Falk , and Teri Garr . The video ends with footage of the four main Ghostbusters actors, in costume and character, dancing in Times Square behind Parker, joining in
9792-402: Was interest from Columbia Pictures, they were reluctant to move forward, as Murray had become less interested in the project, Reitman had stepped aside to let them (Aykroyd and Ramis) lead the discussions, and by this time Ramis was more interested in directing films than acting in them. To deal with potential actor changes, the script was designed around introducing a new, younger cast serving as
9894-475: Was later confirmed in February 2015, amongst others. On December 16, the hackers issued a warning to moviegoers, threatening to attack anyone who sees The Interview during the holidays and urging people to "remember the 11th of September 2001 ". On December 17, 2014, Sony cancelled the previously planned December 25 release of The Interview in response to hacker threats. On February 24, 2015, Tom Rothman
9996-610: Was much more ambitious, and unfocused, than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghosts (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore SWAT -like outfits and used Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboards show them wearing riot squad –type helmets with movable transparent visors . The original draft of
10098-415: Was named chairman of SPE's motion picture group to replace Amy Pascal . On April 16, 2015, WikiLeaks published over 30,287 documents, 173 e-mails, and 2,200 corporate e-mail addresses of Sony Pictures' employees. WikiLeaks said in a press release that the content of the leaks were "newsworthy and at the center of a geo-political conflict" and belonged "in the public domain". Sony Pictures later condemned
10200-545: Was nominated for an Emmy. When the show's producers began to see the youth appeal of the character Slimer, he began to be featured more prominently. In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters , and featured an hour-long format with a typical Real Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly Slimer! cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Real Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten
10302-466: Was released in the United States on June 8, 1984. It had been made on a US$ 30 million budget, but it grossed approximately US$ 240 million in the United States and over US$ 50 million abroad during its theatrical run, more than the domestic gross of the second Indiana Jones installment, making it the most successful film in America that year (after re-releases), and one of the most successful comedies of
10404-783: Was renamed as Sony Pictures Entertainment on August 7, 1991. Also that year, Jon Peters left Columbia to start Peters Entertainment with a three-year exclusive production agreement at the studio at first, before transitioning to a non-exclusive deal at the studio. Longtime CPE employee Laurie MacDonald also left to start Aerial Pictures at the studio, first for a two-year deal, before going to 20th Century Fox in 1993, and being swallowed up by Amblin Entertainment later that year, eventually setting up DreamWorks . Sony has since created numerous other film production and distribution units, such as creating Sony Pictures Classics for art-house fare, by forming Columbia TriStar Pictures (also known as
#726273