They’ve been threatening to do it for years, despite fans, despite critics, even despite Bill Murray’s total dismissal of the subject in numerous interviews and comments. But now it’s finally happening. Ghostbusters 3 will start shooting next summer.
The news comes to us via Screen Rant that Ivan Reitman’s next film Draft Day, with Kevin Costner, has been put on hiatus so that Reitman can complete his pre-production duties on Ghostbusters 3 in preparation for a 2013 shoot-date. What’s more, it’s been confirmed that Murray will definitely not be appearing in the film, to the undying surprise of exactly no one. How they will explain his absence in the film will be one for the ages.
Etan Cohen, of Men in Black III fame, has been reworking the script in preparation for production. Original scribe Dan Aykroyd had this to say about the current state of the script:
“We’ve got a brilliant new writer on it and we’ll be passing the torch on to a new generation. We’re working on it to make it just right to satisfy our fans. I’m confident we’ll be in production in the next year.”
As for casting the promised ‘reboot’ of the Ghostbusters franchise, rumors have swirled about everyone from Anna Faris to Seth Rogen and Bill Hader. I also heard rumor of Jonah Hill, but I believe that the universe must be kinder than that.
The original film, with the original cast, is so beloved and has become so iconic that updating, rebooting, remaking or even sequelling it seems like an insult. With Bill Murray definitely out – and given that neither Reitman nor Aykroyd have made a passable film in years – I go into this with terror in my heart. There’s always the chance that it will work … but it probably won’t.
We’ll be sure to hear more about Ghostbusters 3 in the coming months. For right now, we can only pray that at least Mr. Stay-Puft remains securely in retirement.
We’ll keep an eye on this story as production begins and the casting gets solidified.
