Watch Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), then Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024), which follow Egon Spengler's family. The 2016 Ghostbusters is a separate reboot, and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon is optional.
- Titles
- 6
- Films
- 5
- Series
- 1
- Watch time
- 68 hours
- Box office
- $1.15 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.0
Ghostbusters movies in release order
Here is every Ghostbusters title in the order it came out, 1984 to 2024: 5 films and 1 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghostbusters | 1984 | Film | 1h 45m | 7.8 |
| 2 | The Real Ghostbusters optional | 1986 | Series | 58h 40m | 7.6 |
| 3 | Ghostbusters II | 1989 | Film | 1h 48m | 6.6 |
| 4 | Ghostbusters | 2016 | Film | 1h 57m | 6.8 |
| 5 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | 2021 | Film | 2h 4m | 7 |
| 6 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | 2024 | Film | 1h 55m | 6.1 |
Ghostbusters timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghostbusters | New York | 1984 |
| 2 | The Real Ghostbusters | New York | 1986 |
| 3 | Ghostbusters II | Five years later | 1989 |
| 4 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Summerville, Oklahoma | 2021 |
| 5 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | New York | 2024 |
| 6 | Ghostbusters | New York | 2016 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 3 titles here. In release order you start with Ghostbusters (1984); in story order you start with Ghostbusters, set in New York.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Ghostbusters into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Ghostbusters also runs a separate continuity: The 2016 reboot. It has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch it on its own without breaking the main story.
Where to start
Start with Ghostbusters and go in release order, skipping the 1 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 5 titles and about 9 hours, 86% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: Ghostbusters (7.8), The Real Ghostbusters (7.6), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (7).
Every Ghostbusters movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1984 · Film · 1h 45m
Ghostbusters
After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world.
Why it matters: The original team in New York.
- Starring
- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Box office
- $297 million on a $30 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%
No. 02 · 1986 · Series · 58h 40m · optional
The Real Ghostbusters
The continuing adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, their secretary Janine Melnitz and their mascot ghost Slimer.
Why it matters: The cartoon continuation; optional.
- Starring
- Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, and Arsenio Hall
- Creator
- Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6
- Episodes
- 140 across 7 seasons
No. 03 · 1989 · Film · 1h 48m
Ghostbusters II
The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.
Why it matters: The team reunites five years later.
- Starring
- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Box office
- $215 million on a $37 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 57%
No. 04 · 2016 · Film · 1h 57m · 6th in story order
Ghostbusters
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
Why it matters: A standalone reboot.
- Starring
- Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Kate McKinnon
- Director
- Paul Feig
- Box office
- $229 million on a $144 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%
No. 05 · 2021 · Film · 2h 4m · 4th in story order
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
When single mom Callie and her two kids Trevor and Phoebe arrive in a small Oklahoma town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
Why it matters: Egon's grandchildren in Oklahoma.
- Starring
- Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon
- Director
- Jason Reitman
- Box office
- $204 million on a $75 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 63%
No. 06 · 2024 · Film · 1h 55m · 5th in story order
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
The Spengler family returns to where it all started - the iconic New York City firehouse - to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Why it matters: Both generations together in New York.
- Starring
- Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, and Carrie Coon
- Director
- Gil Kenan
- Box office
- $202 million on a $100 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 41%
Ghostbusters box office and budgets
The 5 Ghostbusters films with reported numbers have grossed $1.15 billion worldwide on about $386 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.0 times what they cost. The biggest is Ghostbusters at $297 million, 26% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Ghostbusters ($229 million) and Ghostbusters II ($215 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Ghostbusters, which made 9.9 times its $30 million budget. The weakest was Ghostbusters at 1.6 times its $144 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Ghostbusters movies
Across 6 rated titles, Ghostbusters averages 7.0 on IMDb. The top of the list is Ghostbusters at 7.8, then The Real Ghostbusters (7.6) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (7). At the bottom: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (6.1) and Ghostbusters II (6.6).
- Ghostbusters7.8 · RT 95%
- The Real Ghostbusters7.6
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife7 · RT 63%
- Ghostbusters6.8 · RT 95%
- Ghostbusters II6.6 · RT 57%
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire6.1 · RT 41%
Who appears in the most Ghostbusters movies
Bill Murray leads with 4 appearances as Dr. Peter Venkman and Peter Venkman, ahead of Dan Aykroyd (4) and Sigourney Weaver (3). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Murray | Dr. Peter Venkman / Peter Venkman | 4 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
| Dan Aykroyd | Dr. Raymond Stantz / Ray Stantz | 4 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
| Sigourney Weaver | Dana Barrett | 3 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) |
| Ernie Hudson | Winston Zeddemore | 3 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) |
| Annie Potts | Janine Melnitz | 3 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) |
| Harold Ramis | Dr. Egon Spengler | 2 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters II (1989) |
| Rick Moranis | Louis Tully | 2 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters II (1989) |
| David Margulies | Mayor / The Mayor of NY | 2 | Ghostbusters (1984) to Ghostbusters II (1989) |
| Mckenna Grace | Phoebe / Phoebe Spengler | 2 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
| Finn Wolfhard | Trevor / Trevor Spengler | 2 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
| Carrie Coon | Callie / Callie Spengler | 2 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
| Paul Rudd | Grooberson / Gary Grooberson | 2 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
Ghostbusters directors and creators
6 filmmakers have directed or created Ghostbusters; Ivan Reitman has the most, with 2.
- Ivan ReitmanGhostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989)
- Dan AykroydThe Real Ghostbusters (1986)
- Harold RamisThe Real Ghostbusters (1986)
- Paul FeigGhostbusters (2016)
- Jason ReitmanGhostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
- Gil KenanGhostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
How long it takes to watch every Ghostbusters movie
All 6 titles add up to 68 hours: 9 hours of film and 59 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 35 two-hour evenings, or 7 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 9 hours. The longest film is Ghostbusters: Afterlife at 2h 4m.
The 4 best rated films: Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Ghostbusters, and Ghostbusters II.
Everything takes about 10 weeks; the essentials about 10 days.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Ghostbusters movies can you skip?
1 title can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 59 hours.
- The Real Ghostbusters1986 · Series · 58h 40m · optionalThe cartoon continuation; optional.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Ghostbusters movies in?
Watch Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), then Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024), which follow Egon Spengler's family. The 2016 Ghostbusters is a separate reboot, and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon is optional.
How many Ghostbusters movies and shows are there?
There are 6 titles in the Ghostbusters franchise: 5 films and 1 series, released from 1984 to 2024.
How long does it take to watch all the Ghostbusters movies?
About 68 hours for all 6 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (5 titles) take about 9 hours.
What is the first Ghostbusters title in chronological order?
Ghostbusters, set in New York. In release order the first is Ghostbusters (1984).
Which Ghostbusters titles can I skip?
The Real Ghostbusters. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Ghostbusters movie?
By IMDb score, Ghostbusters (1984) at 7.8, followed by The Real Ghostbusters at 7.6.
What is the highest-grossing Ghostbusters movie?
Ghostbusters (1984), with $297 million worldwide. Ghostbusters films have made $1.15 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Ghostbusters movies?
Bill Murray, in 4 of them as Dr. Peter Venkman.
What is the longest Ghostbusters movie?
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, at 2h 4m.
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