Ghostbusters is a term that audiences around the world have known since the moment the original film was released in 1984. That classic introduced audiences to The Ghostbusters, a team comprising Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddemore. Since then, there have been five different feature-length films, several comic book runs, books, and even an animated show. While fans are still waiting for the next live-action film in the series, Netflix just revealed what very well might be the best project of the entire franchise: Ghostbusters: Night Shift.
Netflix's Night Shift takes place in New York City in 1994, five years after the Ghostbusters brought the Statue of Liberty to life in the middle of a city. While the original Ghostbusters parted ways not long after, that didn't keep terrifying supernatural forces at bay. When something strange in the neighborhood starts to cause trouble, a group of scrappy New Yorkers puts on a proton pack and busts some ghosts.
With Netflix's recent success in animation with K-Pop Demon Hunters, fans should leave their doubt at the door and be ready to pick up a proton pack for this terrifying new vision of the Ghostbusters franchise.
Ghostbusters Gets Scary and Animated In 1994
"When You Are Not Laughing at Ghostbusters: Night Shift, You Will Be Screaming."
The Direct attended a presentation at Netflix ahead of the Annecy Film Festival, where we were given a brief tease of what the streaming service has in store for its upcoming animated series Ghostbusters: Night Shift.
Executive producers Elliott Kalan and Ben Hibon were on hand to give a glimpse of their series to the press in attendance.
Elliott Kalan teased that "this show is legit scary," and that when audiences "are not laughing at Ghostbusters: Night Shift, you will be screaming."
He went on to note that, of course, they couldn't do a story that wasn't set in New York City, so they recreated an authentic and cinematic city experience that will make the Ghostbusters franchise proud. There's no Ghostbusters without the iconic firehouse—which makes its grand return in animation.
What doesn't appear, sadly, is the legendary Ecto-1 vehicle—because Night Shift's heroes don't have permission to use it. Instead, they will have their own ghostbusting vehicle: the Ecto-94, a gently pre-used van that will be customized with gadgets and spraypaint throughout the series.
As for the cast of characters forced into saving NYC from a cataclysmic supernatural threat, Kalan and Hibon wouldn't list off their names just yet. However, they did reveal the archetypes that each will fill: the goth, the punk, the kid, the con man, and the scentist. To add to the fun, they'll even have their own terror puppy, a younger version of the classic terror dog demons from the original film, who is rambunctious, playful, and causes things to combust into flames when they pee on it.
Ben Hibon explained that they wanted to "wholeheartedly embrace the Ghostbusters DIY maker's approach to technology," something that is reflected in the cast's unique gear. They also added their own touches, such as experimenting with the pack's energy beam to reflect a more low-tech look.
Then came the part of the presentation that really impressed: the creature design. Both Kalan and Hibon showed us multiple designs that the show has in store for viewers, and they were all horrifying, unsettling, and incredibly unique. We only wish we could share all of the designs with you right now.
Hibon teased that "throughout the series, characters will face a great variety of different kinds of ghosts." Further explaining their process, he noted that "in early design, [they] explored the whimsical, [and] the absurd, pushing features, playing with scale, texture, quality, transparency, the fleshy, and the ethereal."
At the end of the day, their one consistent prerogative was "to really play up the scary side of our ghosts," with "the tension and danger [being] omnipresent," and "the atmosphere is heavy," with the stakes being real and long-lasting.
The two producers showcased one clip to us, which followed two characters stuck on a ghost train speeding through the air in Grand Central Station at night, with a giant train conductor ghost (as seen in the image above) attacking them and the rest of the group on the ground as they tried to contain it with their proton packs.
This wonderful clip not only showcased the show's impressive animation but also proved that all their grand promises and declarations were true: this is a Ghostbusters project for the ages, and one that could very well become the best thing the franchise has ever seen.
Ghostbusters: Night Shift does not currently have a release date, but it is expected to drop at some point in 2027 on Netflix.
