A 'Ghostbusters' sequel is definitely happening, according to studio chief
"While nothing has been officially announced yet, there's no doubt in my mind it will happen," Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at Sony, told The Wrap.
The movie - which stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as the hunters of the supernatural in New York City - came in second place at the box office over the weekend but has the largest opening of a comedy so far this year.
With a budget of around $140 million and a reported advertising spend of over $100 million, however, the movie needs to have a good stretch at the box office for Sony to recoup its investment.
The movie has been a hot-button topic since it was announced that the studio would make a female-focused remake of the classic 1984 comedy, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson and has gone on to become the top-grossing comedy of all time (adjusting for inflation).
The internet was flooded with backlash against the remake plans, which led to the movie's trailer becoming one of the most disliked ever on YouTube, people giving the remake low ratings on its IMDb page, and most recently Jones calling out people who have posted racially hateful things to her on Twitter since the movie has come out.
But Sony is standing behind the project and seems to want to drown out the naysayers.
"The 'Ghostbusters' world is alive and well," Bruer told The Wrap. "I expect 'Ghostbusters' to become an important brand and franchise."