“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” could be seen as a soft reboot as well as a sequel to the original films. While it introduced new characters, much of the original cast came back in limited capacities. Additionally, Gozer, who was brought to life by Olivia Wilde, Emma Portner, and Shohreh Aghdashloo, was back as the main antagonist. It existed to draw in a new audience but also remind people why they fell in love with the “Ghostbusters” franchise in the first place. However, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” looks to deviate with a new villain who draws inspiration from a pretty rad source.
Director Gil Kenan spoke with Empire about the sequel and cited “The Real Ghostbusters,” the ABC animated series that ran from 1986 to 1991, as a significant influence. Specifically, he brought up the cartoon’s “wild, original, and weird-as-f*** villains.” Garraka is a wholly original creation for “Frozen Empire,” but it appears its fantastical and terrifying nature is inspired by some of those animated ghosts. “The Real Ghostbusters” had plenty of spirits that inspired nightmares, from the Grundel that would infect children and turn them into Grundels to the Sandman, who sought to put the whole world to sleep.
Kenan also said that the animated show inspired the scale of “Frozen Empire.” “We wanted to bring that show’s looseness and fearlessness to this movie,” he stated. “I think it’s going to surprise people just how big this film is.” Considering Garraka is already making waves after a few cursory glimpses from the trailers and a Funko Pop, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is shaping up to be a worthy continuation of the franchise.
