Dan Akroyd said in interviews that Ghostbusters the video game (2009) is pretty much the closest to Ghostbusters 3 we will ever get.

Ghostbusters 3 did come out in video game form with all the original cast member reprising their voices.

There's also another major issue that put the brakes on ghostbusters 3 and played a roll in Bill Murray rejecting anything to do with it. From my understanding him and Harold Ramis weren't on good terms after making the movie "groundhogs day." There was a lot of friction on set between them and they had a falling out and weren't on speaking terms up until Harold Ramis became ill and was close to passing away.

the closest we'll ever get to the Ghostbusters 3 is the Ghostbusters Videogame, that had a script written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and featured all of the ghostbusters since it was made before Harold's passing

I have a soft spot for Ghostbusters 2. It does have much too similar structure to the first one but I like that it brings in the river of slime, Vigo, elevated Louis' role, the Statue of Liberty scene, and just the overall message that kindness will triumph in the end.

I quite enjoyed Afterlife, but in my ideal world, Ghostbusters 3 would have been made in 1991 or 1992 or something, and Ghostbusters 4 would have been a reunion movie made around 2011/2012 with the original cast coming back for one last adventure (along the lines of Star Trek VI:The Undiscovered Country). 2016 and 2022 would have been next generation movies with a handover to a new crew carrying on the legacy.

The fact the og cast is in that reboot is punch to the face

Dan Aykroyd should publish his Hellbent script.

In all honesty, the fact that Ghostbusters Afterlife was able to reunite the original OG Ghostbusters, even for an appearance was a feat into itself. To be fair, Ghostbusters the video game with the original cast is as close to Ghostbusters 3 as we may as well get.

Afterlife film was fucking awesome and great for the third Ghostbusters movie

I absolutely love Ghostbusters 2. Also, the video game is phenomenal and Afterlife was really good. Especially considering it had to set up a whole new cast and it was focused on kids.

Ray Stanz's cameo in 'Casper' is canon btw, incase you didn't know. It was confirmed by the director in a interview. 👍

This video essay conjured up a memory that before it went into production, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey had the working title of "Bill and Ted go to Hell". I don't know how many changes were made from the original draft from what we got (since there's at least one Hell sequence in the finished product), but it might make for an interesting essay if there's any information to mine about it.

Sounds like an episode of real Ghostbusters where they go to a parallel dimension where ghosts bust humans in a hellish Manhattan.

"Hellbent" sounded like it potentially would've been a lotta fun. Since such a movie nowadays would be impossible, if I were Sony, I would make the story into a video game. It could be the official-unofficial midquel between Ghostbusters 2 & Afterlife.

I thought that the third would have Ivo Shandor as the main antagonist as his existence was hinted at in the first movie when the Ghostbusters were arrested as well the Videogame was closest thing to a third movie until Afterlife came and we got J.K.Simmons as Ivo Shandor. Do Ridley Scott’s I am Legend

I guess I’m in the minority, but I loved Afterlife. Would definitely watch a sequel with Rudd

When I first heard about the all female Ghostbusters I was very excited about it. I thought it would be a cool new take on it and be different enough that people who loved the original wouldn't feel like it was stepping on any toes and it could be a whole new awesome thing. BUUUUUUUUUUUT the problem with it wasn't that it was four female characters, the problem was that it was horribly written and directed and was complete garbage. Truly disappointing.

I think Hellbent could have been an interesting films, not sure through if it would have been successful as it sounds much more like a horror film with the Ghostbusters in it than a Ghostbusters films. I will disagree with a couple things you said. Saying the Ghostbusters audience is mostly male isn't exactly true, it also has a large female component. The fact that they didn't support the film either shows no one wanted this film. With Afterlife, it is actually a pretty good show. I have never seen Stranger Things, it has 0 appeal to me despite growing up in the 80s but I thought tying Afterlife back to the original film like that was a good way to restart things. Considering they are making a sequel to it and not dropping it like thr 2016 film, it couldn't have been all bad.

The 2016 film issue wasn’t that the team was all female, it was that it was led by a one trick pony, that the press tour had actresses label anyone with genuine criticism as a ‘moms basement dwelling troll’ & that they waited until the VERY last second to release any footage I felt for Jones & McKinnon as they weren’t bad in the film but they couldn’t save it

If they really wanted to make a third Ghostbusters movie they should have had just made Extreme Ghostbusters into a live-action movie

I've said this before... if the girl ghost busters was a sequel, and didn't make every male character in the movie an idiot or evil... it could have worked. The fact that they didn't comprehend this boggles my mind

The 2009 videogame is my Ghostbusters 3 even though we technically have a 3rd and 4th films now with Afterlife and Frozen Empire.

I always thought a Ghostbusters (3) verses Beetlejuice (2) would be a hell of a movie

With Frozen Empire coming out next year that script sounds like it would be good for the third film in the new series.

The animated series had an episode which must have existed in 1999 and must have been absorbed intentionally or unintentionally, by Akroid when writing this treatment 🤔 don’t recall the episode name, but in it the busters were transported to a ghost-themed parallel New York, called ‘Boo York’

They should have just written Murray out in '99 and made the damn thing. He would have been missed, but we might have been better off.

I disagree, I went in to watch Afterlife knowing that I had played the video game and watched the original 2 films. Yes, it doesn't feature the original team until the end, but I like the fact that it doesn't force it on you that it HAS to be ghostbusters this, ghostbusters that. I liked the fact that it was Phoebe Spengler who found her grandfather's ghostbusters stuff in the hidden bunker too.

You Know, a mid '90s 3rd Ghostbusters movie starring the "Bad Boys of SNL" ( Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, and Chris Rock with Rob Schneider in a small role) would have been a good "Passing of the Torch" movie for the franchise.

I view Ghostbusters: The Video Game as the third official movie. I've watched an edited together version of the cut scenes/play through and found it to be significantly better than what we got in Answer the Call and Afterlife. I completely agree with your take on Answer the Call: know your audience and don't actively antagonize them. I don't mind the prospect of an all-female team, but the execution and finger pointing that went into that production took away any interest I might have had.

THANK YOU for calling 'Afterlife' out for what it is. Everything you said about it in this piece is what I said. The fandom was so desperate for something--ANYTHING that wasn't 2016's 'Answer the Call,' they put nostalgia blinders on because 1) We finally see the old gang of Ray, Peter, Winston & Egon (postumously) reunited & 2) Because many saw Afterlife as a last attempt at truly reinvigorating the franchise. I had a sense of that from the trailers & preview clips with the mini pufts, so even though I'm a die hard GB fan, I didn't see it theatrically. Eventually, when I did watch it, that third act confirmed every fear. It was cringy, eyeroll inducingly BAD. Ghostbusters is one those films that even though it deals in the fantastic, it's still very grounded in reality. The most real aspect of everything being the passage of time. There was a window for a true 3rd film & we all saw it slip away thanks to Bill Murray. The End.

Afterlife was fun and different. It's not exactly what I expected it to be, but it was a good movie.

But what was the original Ghostbusters 2 that Murray liked?

I really don't think Afterlife is that bad honestly. I'll take that movie over Answer the Call which I just like to pretend doesn't exist. I would have liked to see a Ghostbusters 3 around 1999-2000. It's too bad that it didn't get off the ground.

So Ghostbusters 2 wasn't a failure. Its actually a classic movie

I always knew that Dan Akroyd had written a third Ghostbusters movie about them going to hell but I didn’t know ALL OF THOSE DETAILS. Now that I hear fuller and more fleshed out synopsis, it actually does sound like it could have been really good.

Afterlife was really good, imo. Way, way better than expected. And I saw the original at the theater with my parents, when it came out. Had the game on my C64, too. 😊

The 2009 Ghostbusters Game Actually DID Bring Back ALL The Originals in Voice Form & Used MANY GB3 Plot Elements! So It's The TRUE 3rd Film, Whereas #Afterlife is More Like Pt.4 & Therefore: "Answer The Call" Pt.5

Afterlife was terrific, we watched two different films.

Afterlife was awesome

had to give myself a little time out but now its ghostbusters 3 lol how do you make these so short yet they feel like longform docs not thats a bad thing thats awsome i live on youtube and this is the only channel i ever felt that too wow love this channel thanks bud

I'm glad someone has finally said it: GB: Afterlife really isn't great. And it definitely isn't "Ghostbusters". You summarised it perfectly, and exactly how I felt when I came out of the cinema. A hash up between Stranger Things and Super 8 with a wrapping paper of GB insignia. Answer the Call was just an awful movie but had great visual keys (the GB characters look great, but the film - nah). Like everyone who has come here to watch this video, GB1 is legendary. It is perfection. Turns out GB2 isn't actually all that bad when you look back on it and also compare it to what came after. For me an opportunity for a true GB3 film has been and gone. It should've been something based loosely around Extreme Ghostbusters. a handing of the torch moment. And also have been done, dusted and released before the end of the 90's. Oh and one more idea I have had today: they should definitely consider doing a standalone live action "The Real Ghostbusters" - coloured uniforms, lookalike actors to the cartoon character GB, Slimer as a friend, themes and sequences from the toon. I dunno, if done right it could be pretty good.

I think they should’ve done a Ghostbusters film with this cast: Adam Sandler as a Ghostbuster Kevin James as a Ghostbuster Bruce Campbell as a Ghostbuster Ted Raimi as a Ghostbuster Vince Vaughn as the new lawyer of the ghostbusters Simon Pegg as the new receptionist & Nick Frost as the new Mascot of the Ghostbusters brand, wearing a costume of the ghost from the logo, promoting Ghostbusters as a brand.

I dont have as much hate for the 2016 Ghostbusters. But the Hellbent premise really highlights the problems with modern franchise revivals. Hellbent wanted to grow and mix things up and variety was what everyone wanted. Now, its all about reverence, reference, and nostalgia trying to capture or retread the old rather than doing fresh and interesting new ideas. I wish I had played the Ghostbusters game

In my heart, and I think a lot of other Ghostbusters fans will agree that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the 3rd film we never thought we'd get! can't wait for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire! 👻🚫

If you’re reading this , you HAVE to play the game. It’s THAT good

The year Harold Ramis passed away was also the year Robin Williams passed away. I loved both of them, but I was upset with how little time they paid homage to Harold Ramis during the 2014 Academy Awards recap that year of actors that have passed away because Robin Williams got the majority of the tribute time, followed by Paul Walker. Both were great and deserving of the tributes they received but Harold barely got any and it was frustrating to see that, as Harold should have had more time then he received.

Those dark Ghostbusters uniforms are pretty drippy

Ghostbusters 3 movie was temporary canceled But ultimately it got revived as they reworked Ghostbusters 3 into Ghostbusters AfterLife I'm so happy.They bought it back the third Ghostbusters film of the original saga And they have to introduce The family of one of the Ghostbusters members Ego Spengler.

I think Ghostbusters 3 should've began at The White House, similar to X-Men 2, where the staff witness poltergeist activity and the president encounters a ghost. It's revealedthere are numerous amateur ghostbusters throughout the country. Some are good at catching ghosts; others are not. The President requests the original Ghostbusters team- the real Ghostbusters- to come to the white House to solve the problem. The president explains that he was in Manhattan during the events of Ghostbusters 2 and was there when the fhostbusters brought the statue of liberty to life. The 4 original ghostbusters are invited to the white House where they investigate. I think a precise like that would've been good and had potential for some memorable comedy

I loved Ghostbusters 2 when I saw it in theaters, but it definitely is inferior. Now I’d like to know what the original Ghostbusters 2 that Murray was excited for would have been like!

Well we got afterlife which is an incredible movie and lived up to the original ❤❤❤❤

I'm looking forward to the new movie but it is a shame we never got a #3 back in the day. I'd still be interested in seeing what could have been though, is there a copy of Dan Aykroyd's script floating around somewhere?

The only part I'd add is that to return to Ghostbusters Two, I'd heard that nobody really enthusiastically rejoined, what they were enthusiastic about is the fact that they were promised if they did a sequel none of them would ever have to work again.

It sounds like the "Man-Hell-ton" idea was worked into the animated series, or maybe it was vice versa? There was an episode very much like what you're describing where they visit "Boo York", a mirror image of New York completely inhabited by ghosts. I think it was called "Flipside"

You hit the nail on the head when said know your audience ghostbusters 2016 did everything in the opposite to get the fans in the theaters if anything they rebel the fans of this franchis.

I still think the Ghostbusters Answer the Call movie is one of the primary reasons why KZfaq hid the dislike/thumb down count from view, because it has potential to become bad business, on top of promoting negativity. From day 1 of the trailer launch to when the movie started dying out in the theater, Sony's channel all had an ongoing consistent 2/3rds dislike count to a 1/3 like. Believe KZfaq cherry-picked and hid the dislike count (before totally hiding them altogether), but I may be wrong. I wish I would have grabbed some screen shots of that count before they were hidden, but the proportion was what I posted above. And Sony did nothing to change what the audience was complaining about... which mainly was having extremely good female actors and squandering their talent away on stupid sexist jokes and themes.

in the ghostbusters arcade game from the 1980s. i played it at my local 5 and 10, they went through different portals to different dimensions, that were more ghastly and more outworldly than our own, and i thought that was what the holiday halloween was about, a portal opening up to another dimension where weird looking creatures lived and on halloween the portal opened at night and that was why we were dressing up like weird creatures, as not to be taken, and i thought the movie, Mortal Kombat from 1995 and 97 did a good job of showing those portals . so a ghostbusters 3 where they went to a hell dimension or other dimension could be cool, but Bill and Ted 2, showed them going to Hell already, and that was in 1990 or 1991

Afterlife was definitely one I actually loved because in a way it was a perfect sendoff for Egon and managed to work the passing of the character into the story.

GB2 is definitely under appreciated, but mostly cuz of Peter MacNicol, he stole it.

That 90s type cast could’ve been special as the new ghost busyers

I still like Ghostbusters 2 better than the first. As a kid i enjoyed the kid friendy speed of the 2nd. As an adult i like the first but i still have a bigger place in my heart for 2

Imagine the green demons were just alternate slimers in the what could’ve been, Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent 2:27

Afterlife was awesome! and Frozen Empire was good.

Hopefully we will get to see "hellbent" in the spirit of the original film that was more serious.

in the second movie, all the kids at the birthday party wanted He Man, he was getting his first live action movie in 1987, was that the same year as the second movie?

I rather think Afterlife is a decent ‘passing of the torch’ Ghostbusters movie. I loved GB2 as well.

Everytime franchises go child friendly it’s a joke

It was great and the sequel was incredible, i hope they get another one

I hated Gb ATC but I really enjoyed Afterlife. Been a fan since the first movie hit UK tv in Xmas 1987 - and have been very overly protective of the franchise. But I think that Afterlife was a great follow up. Appreciate it follows many of the same beats of the first movie but there is a ritual to the coming of Gozer so you couldn’t avoid the Keymaster/Gatekeeper vibe. Thing is you have to move the story onto a younger cast as so much has changed for the originals. So it was always going to feel like a coming of age movie in some way. The only comparison to `stranger things is Finn Wolfhard. If Trevor had been cast by anyone else this comparison wouldn’t be so prevalent. Great video though 👍🏻

I have to say I’m kinda glad that out of all of the different ways this could have gone they didn’t get to do the ones where Venkman died, I love that character too much and I don’t think I could watch that

“Know your audience” I agree. Jason Reitman knew his audience and that’s why Ghostbusters Afterlife was a huge success for Ghostbusters fans. Yes they definitely retread a LOT of old ideas but it was a great way of bridging the 35 year gap and generating interest in the franchise again. You may not have wanted a sequel to Afterlife, but the fans do. Because of Afterlife’s success, they’ve made multiple new video games, a VR experience, there are more animated movies coming, and the “Firehouse” sequel. We’re pumped to have the crew and Ecto-1 and all the busting gear back at the firehouse in NY, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with. So yeah, know the audience. Looks like they do!

Fortunately, we did end up getting a Ghostbusters 3, in the form of Afterlife.

Thanks a lot, Bill and Harold. Your petty squabbling screwed us out of a properly Ghostbusters trilogy

Apparently, in the dvd version of blues brothers, one of the actors is listed to be in “Ghostbusters 3”

4:04 Alex and Marty where going to be Ghostbusters 😮

I enjoyed every Ghostbuster movie. You cant hit a homerun every time at the plate. So some of the product will be better than others. I even enjoyed the female Ghostbuster movie I thought it was funny. Some things could have been tweaked story wise but it wasn't horrible as people say.

I tapped out at DT type character.

Fun fact Ghostbusters (2016) is predicted in Ghostbusters II

_GB1:_ Entrepreneurs _GB2:_ Fat Cats _GB3:_ Washed-Up Has-Beens

Anyone else just finding out Ghostbusters 2016 was actually called Ghostbusters: Answer the Call! I tried watching it before and couldn’t get though more than 30 to 45 mins I’d say. Guess the video game is the closest to anything else. The Hellscape idea I think is actually how the multiverse works. And everyone else in this current reality is here because we all haven’t done the personal work to be in more ideal world. Our better selves in other worlds got to see and experience all those different Ghostbusters 3. Was thinking of Evolution as the video was playing and I guess if only he didn’t make that film we might of gotten a Ghostbusters 3 after all.

Afterlife’s great, I can’t wait for the sequel!

Ok I finally watched this video, I watched all your other videos first, and left this for last. I also subscribed, and I don't subscribe to just anyone. But I love your "what could have been videos"

Love the work , keep digging more, I am the eggs popping on Dana's counter

There are only 2 Ghostbusters movies, the first two Everything after that has been Hollywood's brain-dead idea-less writers trying to make money off the name of a classic hit I wish lawsuits would help prevent this but that will never happen

Wasn't there a part of this video where you briefly talked about Ghostbusters Afterlife or your thoughts on the 2016 reboot?

While the Manhellton story sounds amazing I’m still very happy with the Ghostbusters 3&4 we got (The video game and Afterlife of course) and hopefully will love the fifth entry next month. I adore Ghostbusters 2 so much and it always makes me sad to see anyone not enjoy it like I always have.

The original Ghostbisters was lightning in a bottle. There was no way to replicate that. I agree that Hellbent was a great idea and that the 2016 reboot was a terrible one, I don't agree that Afterlife was a Stranger Things rip-off. It had one cast member from that franchise, and they had to do something different or else share the same fate as Ghostbusters 2. I think, given Hellbent never got made, we got a pretty good consolation prize. If only Bill Murray wasn't so stubborn.

This one hurts. What could’ve been 😢

GB 2 got way too much hate. It was good in parts just a bit stupid in others. Compared to the other sequels its far superior. Bill Murray was really the only reason we never got a proper GB 3.

After watching this video I feel a lot more displeasure towards Bill Murry since it seems like it's his fault we never got Ghostbusters 3. Feels like either of the ideas mentioned here would have been better than the reboot or afterlife. Afterlife was okay, but I think fans went easy on it because of the other movie. All things considered that movie did have problems.

I wonder if the original script of ghostbuster 2 would have been better than what we saw I personally love the second one and I don't care if people say that this movie was like the first one

I think GB 2016 caused the whole start of removing the dislike button. Which they shouldn't have done at all

Afterlife was GREAT and set the story for more movies in the franchise, that is the plan. I watched fans crying at the end of that movie, not sure why your opinion is worth anything here, look at the sales of Afterlife and then this critic might want to rethink his opinion. I think we now need to have critics of the critics, many opinions of movies these days are so far off that you really should just ignore them.

I'm glad they waited to get the script right.

How did this not mention the Ghostbusters the video game??? It had all original cast voice acting, and the script created a story arc from 1,2, and concluded in the video game. You can't talk about What could have been in GB3 without at least mentioning the premise of that game.

I always felt the videogame was Ghostbusters 3.

it's unbelievable how many great ideas and awesome cast options have been wasted for this franchise. In my opinion, the comedians from the early 2000s SNL would have been the best choice for a third movie, but also some from The Office cast would have been amazing, can you imagine someone like Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson and Will Ferrell together as Ghostbusters, with Aykroid and the others, all in the same movie? it would have been the best grossing movie of all times. The hell with Murray, they had an endless choice of good actors to replace him and it would have been just fine, at least we would have had a third movie when the brand was still relevant and we wouldn't have the crap we got nowadays, because honestly, the new Reitman reboots are as much irrelevant as the hideous Paul Feig reboot. I watched Afterlife on a plane a few years ago and I switched to another movie after 20 minutes, so much I was bored

I'm still sad that the great Harold Ramis is no longer with us 😢 Rest in Peace, Harold 🙏💙

I thought a third Ghostbusters should have had the original Ghostbusters would train four new Ghostbusters. Vince Vaughn would lead the new Ghostbusters, who would turn out to be Peters son. Jonah Hill would be Oscar and join the new Ghostbusters.