Ghostbusters 3 has been in development hell for so long that it may never find its way out, but despite all of the Bill Murray disputes, the countless rewrites, and the recent death of Harold Ramis, Sony still wants to make it happen.
Officially, Bill Murray has lost his share of the franchise rights, meaning they are free to move on without him, and the script is currently undergoing yet another revision, following Ivan Reitman’s decision to leave the director’s chair after Ramis’ passing. The studio turned to Hollywood golden boys Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are fresh off this year’s mega-hit The LEGO Movie (and have another film, 22 Jump Street, on the way), but they passed on the project, leaving it once again in limbo.
However, Sony isn’t giving up, and if recent reports are to be believed, they are now looking at Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer to give the film a shot.
The Wrap dropped the news during a recent report about the Ant-Man director shortlist, which includes Fleischer. Here’s what they said about that film and Ghostbusters 3:
“Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer is also in the mix for [Ant-Man], but he just had a baby with his wife, publicist Holly Shakoor Fleischer, and may be reluctant to take a demanding gig that will require such a big commitment. He’s also being considered to direct “Ghostbusters 3” for Sony, for whom he directed “Zombieland” and “30 Minutes or Less,” though that project isn’t heading into production nearly as soon.
Fleischer is an interesting choice for Ghostbusters 3, and while his recent efforts 30 Minutes or Less and Gangster Squad failed to strike a chord with critics or garner a big box office haul, Zombieland is the perfect example of how well he’d be able to handle the beloved ghost-hunting franchise. That film offered a perfect mix of comedy and horror elements, with great visual effects and a well-paced, dramatic human story at its core. Plus, Murray had a role in Zombieland, so perhaps that would be a selling point to get the great Dr. Peter Venkman back for more stream-crossing shenanigans.
Tell us, would you like to see Fleischer direct Ghostbusters 3? Or is this franchise past reviving? Sound off in the comments below!
