After years in development limbo, Sony Pictures Animation’s animated Ghostbusters movie for Netflix is finally showing real signs of life.
Sam Jarvis, known for her work on Dollface, has been tapped to write the latest draft of the script, breathing fresh energy into a project that’s been gestating since 2016.
The news broke recently via industry insider Jeff Sneider, confirming Jarvis as the third writer to tackle the screenplay after Yoni Brenner and Kristy Hall took earlier cracks at it.
Kris Pearn, who directed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and The Tiger’s Apprentice, remains attached to direct what’s being described as a wholly new entry in the franchise.
A separate beast from the animated series
It’s worth clarifying that this animated feature is a completely different project from the Ghostbusters animated series that Sony and Netflix announced back in 2022.
That show, with Elliott Kalan as writer, showrunner, and executive producer, is still in development separately. Jason Reitman, who directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, is producing for Sony Pictures Animation on the series side.
The film, however, is aiming for something bigger. Sources close to the project told Deadline they see this as something that could do for Ghostbusters what the Spider-Verse films have done for Spider-Man, expanding the universe in bold, visually stunning ways that feel fresh while respecting the IP’s legacy.
From ghost perspective to Netflix exclusive
When Sony first announced plans for an animated Ghostbusters movie a decade ago, the initial premise involved telling the story from the ghosts’ perspective. Whether this concept survived multiple script rewrites remains unclear, but the ambition to push creative boundaries is still there.
The project will be a Netflix exclusive, continuing the streaming giant’s partnership with Sony Pictures Animation.
Following the underwhelming box office performance of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire in 2024, which grossed $202 million worldwide against a $100 million budget, the move to streaming might actually give the franchise more creative freedom to experiment without the pressure of theatrical expectations.
With Ghostbusters Day coming in June and 2026 marking the 40th anniversary of The Real Ghostbusters animated series, fans are hoping Sony and Netflix finally unveil something concrete.
The franchise has been dormant in animation for far too long, and if Jarvis can crack the code that’s eluded previous writers, we might be looking at the Ghostbusters renaissance animation we’ve been waiting for.
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