Gil Kenan was able to show Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire story to the late Ivan Reitman

Gil Kenan was able to share the 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' story with the original movie's director Ivan Reitman before his death.

The 47-year-old filmmaker has helmed the latest picture in the supernatural franchise and admits that the approval of the late director – who passed away aged 75 in 2022 – kept the crew going through the writing process.

Gil told The Hollywood Reporter: "We pitched an almost complete version of this film's story outline to Ivan before his passing, and that was really meaningful.

"Obviously, we didn't know that he wouldn't be with us for the film, but his validation of the pitch and his joy at hearing it was something that kept us going through the writing."

Ivan's son Jason Reitman – who had been behind the camera on the 2021 flick 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' - decided not to direct 'Frozen Empire' and Kenan was "honoured" to be given the chance to follow in the family's footsteps on the beloved movies.

The 'Monster House' director said: "It was an evolving conversation, and I'm obviously very grateful to Jason for entrusting me with his family's franchise.

"But I'm also really grateful that I was able to have a front row seat to the profound passing of the torch that took place on 'Afterlife' between Ivan and Jason."

Gil revealed that he hopes to make another movie to complete the story for Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace).

He explained: "If we're lucky enough to get to tell another one of these films, Jason and I are primed and ready to continue the Phoebe Spengler saga.

"We agree that the single most important decision we had to make at the start of this process was to take this from something that was a group of people who came together with a shared purpose, which was starting a business, to making it about a family saga with one character at the centre of it. And that was Phoebe Spengler."