When Was Ghostbusters 2016 Released?
Ghostbusters 2016 premiered on July 9, 2016 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, with its theatrical release following on July 15, 2016 in the United States. The film opened earlier in the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 11, 2016.
Release Timeline and Distribution
The film’s rollout followed a staggered international release pattern. After the Hollywood premiere on July 9, the United Kingdom and Ireland received the film on July 11, followed by the United States on July 15, 2016. This approach allowed Sony Pictures to build momentum across different markets, though the strategy proved less effective than anticipated.
The theatrical run extended through November 10, 2016, with the film playing in over 3,900 theaters during its opening weekend. Digital and home media releases came later that year, with the digital version launching on September 27, 2016, followed by DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 11, 2016.
What makes this release particularly notable is the film was not released in the Chinese market, with China Film Group Corporation believing it was “not really that attractive to Chinese audiences” since most Chinese viewers hadn’t seen the original films.
Production Background
Directed by Paul Feig and co-written with Katie Dippold, the 2016 Ghostbusters represented a complete reboot of the franchise rather than a sequel. The decision came after original cast member Bill Murray’s refusal to commit to a third film, and the death of Harold Ramis in 2014, which made continuing the original storyline impractical.
Production began in mid-2015, primarily filming in Boston and New York City. The film received an extended cut for home release that incorporated over 17 minutes of deleted scenes, bringing the runtime to 2 hours and 13 minutes compared to the theatrical version’s 1 hour 57 minutes.
The production budget reached $144 million, making it one of the more expensive comedies of its era. This figure didn’t include marketing costs, which pushed the total investment significantly higher.
Cast and Characters
The film featured an entirely new cast in the lead roles:
Main Cast:
- Melissa McCarthy as Dr. Abigail “Abby” Yates, a particle physicist
- Kristen Wiig as Dr. Erin Gilbert, a physicist
- Kate McKinnon as Dr. Jillian “Holtz” Holtzmann, an engineering physicist
- Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan, an MTA worker who joins the team
- Chris Hemsworth as Kevin Beckman, the team’s receptionist
Original Cast Cameos: The original Ghostbusters cast made appearances in new roles, with Bill Murray playing paranormal-debunker Dr. Martin Heiss, Dan Aykroyd as a taxi driver, and others. These cameos served as nods to the original films while establishing this version as a separate continuity.
Box Office Performance
The financial results told a complicated story. Ghostbusters opened with $46 million domestically and ultimately grossed $229 million worldwide against its $144 million production budget.
While these numbers might appear respectable on their surface, the reality was more challenging. Paul Feig stated before release that “a movie like this has to at least get to like $500 million worldwide” to be considered successful. The film fell far short of this target.
Multiple sources estimated losses between $50 million and $75 million after accounting for marketing costs and theater revenue splits. By August 2016, publications like Forbes and The Wall Street Journal had begun calling Ghostbusters a box-office bomb.
The second weekend saw a 54% drop to $21 million, indicating weak word-of-mouth despite an overall B+ CinemaScore from audiences. International markets provided $19.1 million in the opening weekend, but the film never gained strong traction overseas.
Critical Reception and Controversy
The film’s reception split into distinct camps. On Rotten Tomatoes, Ghostbusters holds a 74% fresh rating, with the critical consensus reading: “Ghostbusters does an impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvelously cast supernatural comedy—even if it can’t help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original”. Metacritic gave it a score of 60 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average” reviews.
The controversy began well before release. The first trailer became the most disliked film trailer on YouTube by May 2016, with over one million dislikes compared to 280,000 likes. This unprecedented negative reaction centered largely on the all-female cast announcement.
The backlash affected the film’s marketing and public perception. Some praised Sony for modernizing the franchise with diverse representation, while others criticized what they perceived as unnecessary changes to beloved source material. The debate often overshadowed discussions of the film’s actual quality.
Critics who watched the film offered more nuanced views. Many praised the cast’s chemistry and comedic timing, particularly Kate McKinnon’s performance as Holtzmann. Common criticisms focused on pacing issues, over-reliance on CGI compared to the practical effects of the original, and a formulaic plot structure.
Impact on the Franchise
Despite Sony’s initial optimism and the cast signing on for two sequels, Paul Feig confirmed by November 2016 that a direct sequel would not be made due to the film’s mediocre box office performance.
This outcome shifted Sony’s strategy for the franchise. Rather than continuing the 2016 reboot’s timeline, the studio opted to return to the original film’s continuity with Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), directed by Jason Reitman. This film performed better both critically and commercially, grossing over $200 million worldwide.
The 2016 version remains officially part of the franchise as an alternate universe story. Home media sales were stronger than theatrical performance, with the film debuting at number one on both DVD and Blu-ray charts upon release.
Home Entertainment Details
The extended cut offers significant additional content for fans. Special features include scenes showing Erin being ridiculed as a “ghost girl” which leads to her punching a bully, additional scenes establishing her dedication to ghost hunting, and background on the villain Rowan.
The home release also included over 3 hours of bonus content: 2 gag reels, 4 deleted scenes, 11 alternate scenes, 5 making-of featurettes, and filmmaker commentaries. Various retailers offered exclusive versions, with Target providing an exclusive bonus disc and Walmart Canada bundling Ghostbusters socks with the purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the official title of the 2016 Ghostbusters movie?
The film was theatrically released simply as “Ghostbusters,” but home media versions were rebranded as “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call” to distinguish it from the 1984 original. Director Paul Feig stated the studio added this subtitle, though he preferred to keep it off the front of the movie.
Why wasn’t there a sequel to the 2016 Ghostbusters?
The film’s underperformance at the box office made a sequel financially unfeasible. While it wasn’t a total disaster, the losses of $50-75 million signaled to Sony that continuing this particular iteration wouldn’t be profitable. The studio instead pivoted to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which connected to the original 1984 and 1989 films.
How did the 2016 film relate to the original Ghostbusters movies?
The 2016 version was a complete reboot set in an alternate universe with no direct connection to the original films’ storyline. While original cast members appeared in cameo roles, they played entirely new characters rather than reprising their iconic roles from the 1980s films.
What did audiences think of the movie?
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B+, with those surveyed by PostTrak giving a 57% “definite recommend”. This indicates a lukewarm reception—viewers didn’t hate it, but weren’t enthusiastic enough to drive strong word-of-mouth.
The 2016 Ghostbusters represents one of Hollywood’s more complicated reboot attempts. Released at a time when franchise revivals dominated multiplexes, it sparked intense debate about representation, nostalgia, and creative risk-taking. While it didn’t achieve the commercial success Sony hoped for, the film found defenders who appreciated its fresh take on familiar material. The conversation it generated about franchise filmmaking and audience expectations continues to influence how studios approach beloved properties.