'Ghostbusters' Sequel Reportedly Receives July 2020 Release Date

Sony Pictures announced a release date for Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters sequel, which picks up after the events of Ghostbusters II.

The film will be released on July 10, 2020, Sony said, reports Variety.

The untitled Ghostbusters sequel was announced only 10 days ago, with Reitman, the son of original director Ivan Reitman chosen to direct and co-write with Gil Kenan. It is expected to be set in the same universe as the original 1984 Ghostbusters and 1989's Ghostbusters II, while ignoring the universe from 2016's all-female Ghostbusters movie.

Reitman plans to shoot this summer and has begun casting young actors. The new film will reportedly feature four teens — two boys and two girls — as the main characters, leaving the door open for Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson to return in supporting roles.

However, Hudson told The Johnny Dare Show Tuesday he has not been offered a contract yet.

"I don't know. Nobody has approached me with a contract," the actor said. "I think the Ghostbusters fans have been wanting [a 'passing of the torch'] dynamic to happen, so I know whatever happens is going to be in that tradition… I'm excited about that. I'd be more excited if they called me and offered me a job, but no matter what happens the fact that they're doing it is really cool."

"I've always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans," Reitman said when the film was first announced. "This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the '80s happened in the '80s, and this is set in the present day."

Reitman added, "This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet."

Sony also released a brief teaser video, showing the original ECTO-1 car under a cover in a barn.

Ghostbusters is not the only big Sony project to get a release date Friday. The studio scheduled Jared Leto's Morbius movie for July 31, 2020. The movie is based on the titular Spider-Man villain and is being directed Safe House's Daniel Esponosa. Former Doctor Who star Matt Smith is in talks to join the project.

Greyhound, a World War II movie starring Tom Hanks, was delayed by more than a year. The film will be released on May 8, 2020 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, which marked the end of the war in Europe.

Naomie Harris' police drama Black and Blue was scheduled for Sept. 20, 2019. Hanks' Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, directed by Can You Ever Forgive Me?'s Marielle Heller, was delayed a month to Nov. 22, 2019.

Photo credit: Sony Pictures