Recently, Ernie Hudson said that he would like to see Ghostbusters “get a little bit more complicated”, explaining that it’s time the franchise explored the reason behind all the supernatural activity in the world.
In other interviews, he offered his thoughts on both the original two Ghostbusters movies, as well as the widely controversial reboot Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), in which he plays a different character.
He also said that he has read the first draft of the script for next year’s sequel. Now, he’s revealed what in particular has him excited for the future of the Ghostbusters franchise - and it’s all to do with his character.
In an interview with AV Club, Hudson explained what has him most excited about playing Winston Zeddemore in future Ghostbusters movies. When asked if he would like to bring his character back in a “proper way”, having only had a brief role in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), here’s what he said:
“If “proper” means being well paid, yes I do," the actor said. “I love Ghostbusters, I love Winston Zeddemore, and in the movie he’s a billionaire now so that makes me very excited.”
It’s always great to hear Hudson make reference to his iconic line from the original Ghostbusters (1984) – “If there’s a steady paycheck, I’ll believe anything you say.”
As for the “billionaire” reference, Hudson is of course referring to the fact that Winston Zeddemore is now has made a fortune in finance, as revealed in last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
And in a post-credits scene, it’s revealed that Winston intends to use his wealth to restart the Ghostbusters business in the firehouse in New York. In fact, this is the premise of the new video game Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (2022).
In the asymmetrical multiplayer game, which was released on October 18 on all major platforms, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd reprise their roles as Ghostbusters Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz, respectively.
Whether or not the pair will be returning in Ghostbusters 4, though, remains to be seen, and the same can be said about Bill Murray, who like Hudson and Aykroyd, reprised his role as Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
What we do know is that the film will take place in New York City, will “continue with the Spengler family story” as established in last year’s film, and that it’s currently going under the working title Firehouse.
As for Hudson’s comments, it would certainly be interesting to see how future movies utilize Winston’s fortune. Here’s to hoping we see his character return in a much bigger capacity, which would make for his lack of screen time in the first two movies.
As per the Sony Pictures website, here’s the synopsis for Ghostbusters: Afterlife:
From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars McKenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Paul Rudd, Olivia Wilde JK Simmons, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.
Ghostbusters 4 will be released in theaters on December 20, 2023.
A canonical limited edition comic book is also in the works, which will bridge the gap between Ghostbusters: Afterlife and next year’s sequel, while the medium of video games has also seen a rise in paranormal activity.
There’s also a Ghostbusters animated movie and a Ghostbusters animated series in the works.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed went on sale on October 18, while the upcoming Ghostbusters VR game recently got an official title and release window, which will be some time during 2023.
