As development continues on three more installments in the franchise,GhostbustersDayis coming back and celebrating its fans in a big way. The annual event, which began in 2016, takes place every June 8 to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s launch in 1984, with Sony taking part with special announcements and fundraising campaigns. Past years’GhostbustersDays have seen Los Angeles declare it an official day for the city thanks to the LA Ghostbusters and Ghost Corps' philanthropic impact supporting the Starlight Children’s Foundation, as well as earlylooks atGhostbusters: Frozen Empireand more.
Now,ScreenRantis proud to exclusively present the details for this year’sGhostbustersDay,namely the theme ofGhostbusters Give Back. Throughout the year, franchise fan groups across the country are being encouraged to participate in a friendly fundraising competition for who can raise the most for their local causes. Sony will be matching contributions up to $150,000, which will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation “with the goal to create more than 6,000Ghostbusters-themed gowns to bring joy to kids in hospitals”.
Even those outside of the fan groups will have an opportunity to contribute by going to the officialGhostbusterswebsite, which has a new hub dedicated to the theme, andfans can track their fundraising efforts in the competition. Jason Reitman, son of original franchise director Ivan Reitman and co-writer of the past two movies, helped make the announcement at a special event held at New York’s iconic Hook & Ladder 8 hosted by The Buffalo Ghostbusters, saying the following:
Since fans started wearing flight suits in the 1980s, Ghostbusters groups have emerged across the country to spread joy and raise money for organizations that need support. Any given week, there is a Ghostbuster group somewhere in America visiting a children’s hospital or holding a fundraiser. This year, we’re honoring that incredible work and supporting their efforts with a little healthy competition.
In addition to the fundraiser announcement, the Hook & Ladder 8 event saw fans show up in cosplay, had live music, special merchandise, and tours with the Ecto-1 and firetruck. Reitman was joined by fellowGhostbustersvets Carrie Coon and Mckenna Grace, thanking fans for their passion and generosity, withall the proceeds from the event going to the FDNY Thomas R. Elsasser Fund.
Alongside the fundraiser, other Sony Group companies are joining in the effort with a variety of other charitable efforts, including donating new 65" class Sony BRAVIA 4K TVs and PlayStation 5 consoles to local firehouses in New York and Los Angeles. They’ve alsorevamped Ghostbusters.com to be a new destination for the franchise, including exclusive fan content, franchise news, merchandise, downloadable activities and fan spotlights. It will also include a place for the chapters and fans around the country to register their groups and track donations to their charity of choice.
Sony is also offering a special offer onGhostbusterscontent, with all five movies being on sale on digital retailers for a limited time.Hasbro is also launching a new action figure 4-pack “Rooftop Scene” set, which first made its appearance at the Hook & Ladder 8 event. Crocs, meanwhile, are previewing their upcoming Fall collection, which includes a newGhostbustersdesign, Funko is announcing a new line ofGhostbusters IIPOPS figures, and Waze has a special franchise-themed driving experience voiced by Dan Aykroyd.
Last, but not least,the Los Angeles Ghostbusters will be marching with Sony Pictures in the LA Pride Parade on Sunday, June 8. The group will be joined by the iconic Ecto-1, while also having specializedGhostbusterspride logo keychains to pass out to those in attendance of the event.
What This Means For The Franchise
Ghostbusters Fans Remain At The Forefront Of Creatives' Minds
GhostbustersDay has been a meaningful celebration of the franchise for the past decade, and Sony’s 2025 plans showcase not only their continued dedication to the series, but also to the fans that have carried it forward. WithfiveGhostbustersmoviescurrently under its belt, the franchise has garnered close to $1.2 billion just at the box office alone, while such extra merchandise as toys and Halloween costumes continue to keep its legacy alive.
The annual event won’t be the only thing keeping the franchise in fans' minds, though,as there are currently three differentGhostbustersprojects in various stages of development. Netflix and Sony previously revealed that they were working on an animated series, which is being penned by four-time Emmy winner Elliott Kalan, while also working on an animated movie at the streamer directed byThe Willoughbys' Kris Pearn. Additionally, while not yet greenlit by the studio, Gil Kenan, who co-wrote the last two films with Reitman and directedFrozen Empire, previously confirmed there are plans formore live-actionGhostbustersfilms.
With there not being a release date in place for any of the three projects, though, this year’sGhostbustersDayis certainly looking to fill the void for fans in a number of ways. The year-long fundraising campaign is a great way to keep fan groups connected to one another, while the new merch from Hasbro, Crocs and Funko also allows fans to continue to show off their love for all things spooky and weird in their neighborhoods.
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a multimedia franchise created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The first two films were released in the ’80s, but Ghostbusters III got stuck in development hell for years. Nearly 30 years after Ghostbusters II hit theaters, a reboot starring female Ghostbusters was released, followed by another reboot/sequel in 2021 titled Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The popular characters have also appeared in several video games and animated TV shows since the franchise’s creation in 1984.
