Netflix is preparing to remove two Ghostbusters movies from its U.S. streaming library at the end of September.
Ghostbusters from 1984 and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call from 2016 are scheduled to leave Netflix on October 1. The departures are part of a larger group of licensed movies leaving the service as Netflix updates its catalog.
The Ghostbusters franchise has a long history of both movies and TV shows. The original Ghostbusters films were released in the 1980s. Multiple versions of the franchise have appeared over the years on different platforms.
The 1984 film starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as a team of paranormal investigators in New York City. It became a major hit and was followed by Ghostbusters II in 1989.
The franchise later returned to theaters with Ghostbusters: Answer the Call in 2016. A separate continuation of the original film series began with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire followed in 2024.
Netflix has a history of updating its content library regularly. This includes removing shows and movies when they are no longer available for streaming.
The departures appear to be regular licensing changes rather than a plan to clear Ghostbusters material before a new movie. Netflix has not announced that the two films are being removed as part of a promotional campaign.
Netflix is actually expanding its connection to the Ghostbusters franchise.
The company announced in June that Ghostbusters: Night Shift will debut exclusively on Netflix in 2027. The animated series is being produced with Sony Pictures Animation.
The new series will be set in New York City in 1994. That places the story five years after the events of Ghostbusters II. It will follow a group of young New Yorkers who are forced to deal with a new supernatural threat.
Executive producers include Ben Hibon, Elliott Kalan, Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, Amie Karp and original Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd. Reitman and Kenan also worked on Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
The new project will also mark another return to animation for the franchise. The Real Ghostbusters ran from 1986 to 1991 and was followed by Extreme Ghostbusters in the 1990s.
The Real Ghostbusters is not currently available on Netflix in the United States. It can currently be streamed through services including The Roku Channel and Tubi.
The franchise has a strong following among fans of science fiction and comedy. The franchise has been popular for decades and remains a cultural touchstone.
Netflix has not said whether Ghostbusters or Ghostbusters: Answer the Call could return to the service later. Licensed movies frequently leave streaming platforms and later return when new agreements are reached.
For viewers who want to see the two films while they remain on Netflix in the United States, the current departure date is October 1.
For now, fans are left to wonder about the future of Ghostbusters on Netflix.