Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will bring the cast of Afterlife, along with a few new faces, back to New York City to face a new spectral threat that one of the new castmates has compared to the franchise's popular animated series.

Actor Kumail Nanjiani spoke about the influence The Real Ghostbusters, which aired from 1986 to 1991, had on the franchise's latest big screen outing shortly after Frozen Empire's first teaser released, according to Comicbook. He revealed the series “was a point of reference” while filming, with the idea that Frozen Empire was, essentially, “a long episode of the animated series.”

The Real Ghostbusters followed the original team of Peter Venkman, Winston Zeddemore, Egon Spengler, and Ray Stantz, along with their secretary Janine and accountant Louis, as they continued to investigate and capture ghosts across New York City. Though not as edgy, the series still maintained the comedic tone of the films while placing a greater emphasis on the actual ghost catching the team was tasked with performing.

It was extremely popular at the time of its release, running for seven seasons and producing a Slimer spin-off series before ending in 1991. The series also played a massive part in making the franchise the financial success it is by spawning countless toys, games, and comics in the following years.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues on after the events of 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and will see the Spengler family leave Oklahoma to join the surviving original Ghostbusters in New York City. However, a mysterious and dangerous spectral force known as the Death Chill is unleashed on the city shortly after arriving, turning it into a frozen wasteland. The new and old Ghostbusters must act quickly to uncover the source of the icy-threat and stop it before it engulfs the entire planet in a second Ice Age.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is scheduled to release in theaters on March 29, 2024.