Frozen Empire grosses $4.7 million at box office preview

Ghostbusting returns to the box office!

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” the fifth and latest film in the terrifying franchise, took in $4.7 million at the box office in its Thursday preview.

Sony and Columbia Pictures' new film, which reunites the original stars of the '80s classic and the cast of the 2021 Afterlife sequel, is expected to top the box office this weekend with an opening between $43 million and $45 million. The launch is in line with the previous film that revived the franchise, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which had a $45 million opening amid the pandemic. “Frozen Empire” will need to outperform its predecessor to turn a profit given its $100 million price tag (“Afterlife” only cost $75 million).

“Frozen Empire” on Thursday was up slightly from “Afterlife,” which grossed $4.5 million in previews back in 2021. At the end of its run, “Afterlife” had grossed $129.3 million in North America and $204 million worldwide.

Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace all return in “Frozen Empire,” which brings the ghostbuster back to New York City after a 2021 revival in a sleepy Oklahoma town. Callie, Trevor, and Phoebe, all descendants of original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler, revive a Manhattan firehouse with Rudd's Gary Grooberson to begin fighting ghosts in the 21st century. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and William Atherton reprise their original “Ghostbusters” roles, teaming up with a new generation to take down a frozen ghost who wants to turn New York City into an Arctic tundra.

Also opening this weekend will be the horror film “Immaculate” from directors Neon and Sydney Sweeney, which debuted at SXSW this month. It's aiming to debut at around $5 million.