Ghostbustersis undoubtedly one of the most beloved film franchisesto come out of the 1980s, and after more than 30 years, we finally saw the band back together again inGhostbusters: Afterlifein 2021. The fun continued in last year’sGhostbusters: Frozen Empire, and while it wasn’t exactly what you’d call a box office smash, starErnie Hudsonstill wants to keep moving things forward,and perhaps play a bigger role in the franchise as it continues to develop.
Speaking withScreenRantat the WGA Awards this past weekend, Hudson – who portrays Winston Zeddemore – told them thathe’d love for his character to be featured more prominently in futureGhostbustersprojects. Up until this point, Winston has always been a reliable person to count on, but he’s never really been front and center since joining Ray, Egon, and Peter halfway through the original film.“I want to see Winston sort of head the teams right now,“he said, adding:
“I think the studio is focused on the family, which is a good thing, but I also would like to see Winston take a team and spin-off in other directions. That would be a lot of fun. They talk about retirement, but I don’t want him to just be that guy who sits in the office. I’d love to see him, like in the original films, really get down and dirty and go at it.”
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In the years following the events inGhostbusters II, Winston would go on to become a successful business person who never shied away from his paranormal past. At the end ofAfterlife, he bought back the old firehouse and restored Ecto-1, and by the timeFrozen Empirerolled around, was responsible for financing the Ghostbusters, as well as creating a paranormal research and development center headed by Dr. Lars Pinfield. That being said, he was all too eager to strap on a proton pack and get back in the thick of things when the time called for it, proving that Winston still has a lot of gas left in the tank when it comes to busting ghosts.
How Winston Zeddemore Could Fit Into the Future of the ‘Ghostbusters’ Franchise
While it’s doubtful that there will ever be a live-action spinoff film focused solely on Winston Zeddemore, that’s not to say Hudson’s character couldn’t be front and center in otherGhostbustersprojects moving forward. Netflix has given the go ahead for a 3D-animatedGhostbustersseries, of which plot details remain under wraps for right now, so it is entirely possible that Hudson’s dreams of commanding his own team could come true in that manner.
Then there was the news late in 2024 that Netflix and Sony are working together to create a new animatedGhostbustersmovie, which is said to be entirely separate from the upcoming series. Once more, it’s unclear where it will fit in the timeline of things, so Hudson has yet another chance to be front and center should director Kris Hearn decide to go in that direction.
All that is to say that with theGhostbustersIP far from becoming the specter its eponymous team members so often chase, the possibilities remain wide open for Hudson’s future. A sequeltoFrozen Empireis now in the works, but until we get there, you’re able to check out that one streaming now on Netflix, andGhostbusters: Afterlifestreaming on Starz. Be sure to check our interview with Hudson above, where he discusses why he still loves the franchise after all this time.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
