Summary

• Director Gil Kenan confirms that original Ghostbusters will be more than just cameos in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and that they are crucial to the story.
• The new film will take into each character's past and serve as a continuation of their journeys from the first movie.
• Trailers have revealed that each member of the original team will be integral to taking down the new villain Garraka in a different way.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire cast includes newcomers like Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Mckenna Grace, but also original stars like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.

As the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire release date approaches, Kenan assures SFX Magainze (via GamesRadar) that the original cast will be "treated as actual characters" in the sequel. While not revealing too many details about what the dynamic will look like between old and new stars, the director does say that the film "had a duty to make those legendary characters integral to this story." Check out his additional comments about the orignal characters below:

"There comes a point in every story where the task of survival, of defeating the thing that you’re up against, is going to require you to act.

"That’s the moment that’s really thrilling for me as a Ghostbusters fan: watching their involvement in the story redefine itself, grow and become more fully fleshed out in a way that speaks to the promise of the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2, and what was glimpsed in the fields outside of Summerville in Afterlife. There’s a direct line from there into who they are now and how they act here in our new story."

The Original Ghostbusters' Return in Frozen Empire Explained

What Has Been Revealed About The Original Characters So Far

After the plot of the previous film focused mostly on introducing new characters, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife ending features the triumphant return of Murray's Peter Venkman, Aykroyd's Ray Stantz, and Hudson's Winston Zeddemore. It also serves as a touching farewell to the late Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler. As far as what to expect from these original characters in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, trailers have already teased how they'll factor into the story.

Winston, for example, is revealed in Ghostbusters: Afterlife to be quite wealthy, and he's actually purchased the gang's old firehouse headquarters. Trailers for the new movie reveal that Winston has essentially turned the firehouse into some kind of ghost experiment and technology lab, meaning he could be crucial to understanding the "Death Chill" and defeating Garraka. Ray, on the other hand, seemingy once more runs Ray's Occult Books, and trailers hints that he will be among the first to encounter a mysterious orb with great power.

Annie Potts is also reprising her role as Janine in Frozen Empire, and trailers show the character wearing a Ghostbusters suit.

It's less clear, however, how Murray's Venkman factors into the story and what his life outside of ghostbusting looks like. The trailer does confirm that Murray will suit up in his classic uniform alongside his old companions, though, meaning he too will be crucial in the fight against Garraka. While some mysteries remain regarding Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Kenan's latest comment about the original cast is sure to come as a reassuring update.

Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar)