Dan Aykroyd Wants A Ghostbusters Prequel To Happen

Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters

Fans of the Ghostbusters movies are certainly looking forward to the upcoming sequel that will return the franchise to the world of the first two films, being directed by the son of Ivan Reitman. There have clearly been plans to bring the Ghostbusters brand back as a major franchise, and it seem Dan Aykroyd already has a host of ideas for follow ups to the new film, including a prequel series that would take the characters Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler, back to high school.

Yes, in case you were curious, it seems that the three original Ghostbusters first met in high school. While the idea for the project is still several years away, Dan Aykroyd has apparently written a treatment for the concept which could apparently work as either a feature film or a television project. According to Aykroyd...

I’ve written Ghostbusters High, where they meet in New Jersey in 1969 and we’re looking to do that as probably a glorified feature or pilot within the next maybe five years.

It's not exactly clear what Ghostbusters High would actually be all about. Assuming that it is supposed to act as a direct prequel to the original 1984 Ghostbusters, that film makes it clear that the trio had never come that close to an actual ghost before the opening scenes of the film, so the series wouldn't actually follow the three characters actually fighting ghosts, would it?

Still, for fans of Venkmen, Stantz, and Spengler, the concept probably sounds like a lot of fun. The new Ghostbusters film is expected to include much of the original cast, but it won't actually be about them, so fans who want another story that actually focuses on the original characters, this could be their best bet.

It seems the idea for Ghostbusters High would be to ultimately become a television series. Dan Aykroyd apparently gave the idea to Jason Reitman even before the current Ghostbusters movie idea became a reality. Aykroyd is clear that this idea is part of a long term plan so we shouldn't expect to see it anytime soon, but he's clearly excited by the concept...

And it would lead to a television project and I thought of [Jason Reitman] immediately for that. It’s on his desk but that’s years away from the current project. But it’s a neat idea for a prequel. Imagine casting the three characters as teenagers!

Dan Aykroyd tells 660 News that he actually envisions this series as a sort of finale on the current Ghostbusters plans. After the current film, the actor/writer/vodka entrepreneur says there are one or two other film projects that are planned, and he sees Ghostbusters High coming after those films, as a sort of finale. Of course, that also means that if the new Ghostbusters movie doesn't hit, it could scuttle the entire plan.

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Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.