The annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival continued today in France, and Netflix held a jam-packed Studio Focus presentation highlighting its upcoming slate of animated projects. Among the announcements, one of the most exciting for Ghostbusters fans was a tease for the franchise’s highly anticipated return to animation.
Presented by Netflix’s Director of Original Animation, Dominique Bazay, the upcoming Ghostbusters series is being developed in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation and Ghost Corps. Speaking to attendees, Bazay shared: “This is ‘Ghostbusters’ like you’ve never seen it,” while also confirming that Netflix is working closely with Flying Bark Productions in Sydney, as well as a new team in Madrid.
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In addition to this, during Netflix’s Studio Focus session, Director of Animation for Families and Kids Dominique Bazay confirmed that Ghostbusters is part of the streamer’s ‘Family Spectacle’ slate, which also includes heavy hitters like Minecraft, Clash of Clans, and Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. Bazay underscored the studio’s ambitious vision, saying: “These spectacle shows are a giant bet for us. We want to make spectacular animation for the entire family, for parents, for kids, for teens, for grandparents, for young adults, whether they watch together or apart.
“We’re very, very proud to be working with Kristine Belson [President of Sony Pictures Animation] and her team. They are the people who brought you the incredible Mitchells vs. the Machines and of course, the Spider-Verse films. This is Ghostbusters like you’ve never seen it.”
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The biggest development and news comes from confirmation of Ben Hibon as executive producer and showrunner. Hibon is an award-winning animation director known for creating the Tale of the Three Brothers sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and serving as the creative lead on Star Trek: Prodigy. In a pre-recorded message shown during the panel, Hibon laid out his vision for Ghostbusters: “Ghostbusters has always been a really surprising blend of horror, comedy, sci-fi and fantasy.
“We want to keep the character and the story totally grounded in a time and place that felt real. It has grit, it has texture, it has vibrancy. The goal is never photorealism. The way we approach light, the volume of light and the softness and the coloration and the temperature of light is really what brings very highly stylized characters or simplified environments or basically textures into a realm that feels very tactile and tangible.
“My mission is unbound by reality. That itself allows us to go much broader, in some ways much bigger.
“We’re able to be very bold and very impactful and very striking, distorting motion, blend with frame rates, ghost designs. We will be able to push the envelope, really elevate content and really surprise audiences.”
Attendees were treated to more concept art, which, in addition to the previously confirmed gritty vision of New York City, revealed hints of ‘four young heroes’ silhouetted with Proton Packs overlooking the city skyline. Other images featured some interiors and exterior shots, with characters, ghouls, and glowing unlicensed nuclear accelerators, all showcasing a visual style reminiscent of the Spider-Verse films.
There’s currently no premiere date or release window set, and fans hoping for trailers or footage will likely have to wait a bit longer. As previously reported, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire filmmakers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan serve as executive producers, while the show’s writer, showrunner, and fellow EP is Elliott Kalan, best known for Mystery Science Theater 3000 and The Flop House podcast.
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Source: Ghostbusters News
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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