Ghostbusters: Ernie Hudson Reveals Rick Moranis Turned Down Frozen Empire Appearance

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire star Ernie Hudson recently shared that his former co-star Rick Moranis turned down an offer to return to the sci-fi comedy franchise.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Hudson revealed that the Frozen Empire team was unsuccessful in convincing Moranis to reprise his role of Louis Tully from the first two Ghostbusters movies. “I don’t know why. I haven’t had a personal conversation. I talked to Ivan Reitman before he transitioned, who I know had spent a lot of time trying to convince Rick. I know that the other guys have talked to him, and I’m not sure why,” Hudson said. “He just said no.”

Hudson continued, “I know they offered him more money than they offered me. And if I thought going to his house would make a difference, I’d be there. Because I’d love to see [him]. And not just in Ghostbusters, but I just think he’s an amazing talent . . . I’d love to see him back if there was any possible way, you know?”

Moranis retired from acting in 1997 so that he could dedicate more time to raising his two children as a widower. He has not appeared in a live-action movie since 1997’s Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, although he is signed on to appear in Disney’s upcoming movie, Shrunk, opposite Josh Gad.

More Ghostbusters movies could be on the way

While Moranis was absent from the cast of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its 2024 sequel, Frozen Empire, there is always the possibility that he could return for a future sequel. In February, Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan shared that he has already discussed where to take the franchise next with producer Jason Reitman.

“We love these characters and we would be really happy if audiences were down to keep going on adventures with them,” Kenan said. “If audiences feel this way, then we know what the next stories are going to be.”

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the fourth installment in the original Ghostbusters timeline and the fifth movie overall in the franchise. In the movie, “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,” reads the official synopsis.