Rumors of a Ghostbusters III have persisted for a good five years. For real. This project has been the bane of Bill Murray’s existence forever. Dan Aykroyd kept accusing Murray of holding up the project, and Dan was correct. But Murray had a damn good reason. Did any of you watch Ghostbusters II? Forget about cats and dogs living together. The sequel had a walking Statue of Liberty. Atrocious.
The pressure fell off Murray when director Paul Feig took over the project. Feig annouced that the project wouldn’t be a sequel but a reboot. (Yes, another reboot.) The cast would be all female, and Murray threw out several suggestions. He loved the idea of Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence plus Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. He nailed it halfway. Here’s the official cast from Hollywood Reporter:
The all-new, all-female Ghostbusters are here.
Melissa McCarthy, who was already in talks for one of the leads, has signed on for the Paul Feig-directed reboot, and Sony is now negotiating with Kristen Wiig as well as Saturday Night Live players Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Negotiations are ongoing, but the quartet are expected to sign on as the specter-seeking, poltergeist-punishing, phantom-phollowing foursome in the reboot, which is eyeing a summer shoot in New York.
McCarthy and Wiig have worked with Feig before, both breaking out in the director’s Bridesmaids. Jones, who is currently onscreen in Chris Rock’s Top Five, joined SNL early last year and this fall was promoted to feature player status. McKinnon has been on SNL since 2012 and last year was nominated for an Emmy for her work.
The film is set for release on July 22, 2016, Feig said on Twitter.
The Ghostbusters reboot has endured a long development process. Original director Ivan Reitman was on board to return, but while original castmembers Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson had agreed to reprise their characters, Bill Murray proved elusive. Reitman then bowed out of the project when Ramis passed away last year. Following Reitman’s departure, Feig was approached to direct and reconceived the project as a reboot starring an all-female cast.
[From Hollywood Reporter]
Not bad, right? Emma Stone was probably too busy to join the cast, and JLaw may not have been a serious contender. Wiig and McCarthy should easily fit the bill, sort of like Bridesmaids with unlicensed nuclear reactors. Leslie Jones is a treasure on SNL and was very funny in Top Five. I don’t know much about Kate McKinnon. Is she a good pick? Man, I bet Ernie Hudson is angry he hasn’t gotten a call yet. He’s going to be waiting for someone to cross the streams.
Photos courtesy of WENN
Kate McKinnon is awesome. Has anyone seen her as Justin Bieber on SNL? You will DIE.
Kkate is by far the funniest out of the 4, and I, m saying that as someone who adores Melissa.
Yeah, Kate is my favorite! 😀
Yeah, Kate is great! I would love to see her on the big screen, but I am not sure I want to see her in Ghostbusters. Meh. But who knows. Maybe this will be a pleasant surprise.
Kate’s pretty much the only reason to watch SNL these days. That Bieber impression is incredible.
She’s the best- definitely the stand out on the cast. “I’m Ellen!” I’m kind of over Kristen Wiig & Melissa Mc, but oh well.
I wasn’t that excited about this reboot until now. JLaw and Emma Stone are fine actresses, but Kate and Leslie are more comedic and a better fit. And thank goodness they’re getting movie work because SNL has been such a letdown lately I was beginning to wonder if it would hurt their careers rather than jump-start them.
I wasn’t excited until I saw that Kate and Leslie were on board. I love those two! If we could sub out Melissa for Aidy Bryant I’d be in heaven!
But ever since Leslie was in that ghost hunting short as the terrified scientific expert she’s been my favorite. “I thought this was a show about house flipping.”
Yes, cherylr, on the ghost hunting skit! It would be fine with me if she just played that same character in GBIII, the subject matter certainly aligns.
Yes, Kate is awesome! She has given me some deep belly laughs this year, and I feel gratitude towards her for that. The Bieber impersonation is hysterical.
She is actually the cast member of GBIII that I am most excited about.
I love Kate! Had anyone here watched the old Vag Magazine clips (I think from UCB)? They are all online and sooooo funny.
Kate McKinnon is a great pick. She’s amazingly funny. I like Kristen and Melissa very much but I think she might be funnier than them. The writing for SNL hasn’t been that great lately but she saves every sketch she’s in. Her Jane Lynch , Shakira, Penelope Cruz, Angela Merkel and Justin Bieber impersonations are spot-on.
Good cast!. I would have loved to have seen both Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone in the same film acting along side one another though!. I read that both passed on the film…I don’t think either were seriously into being a part of it. Anyway, cast looks great and it is shaping up to be a funny reboot.
I hate the idea of the reboot but it’s good that they’ve pulled from the SNL crowd mostly, like Murray and Ackroyd in the original.
I still have a fondness for the old days of SNL and the movies that came out of it.
I’m glad they picked comediennes to star. Should be much funnier … hopefully.
Ugh. I hate this idea SO MUCH.
Me too.
Me too!!! The first Ghostbusters was awesome…why, why, why, do they do remakes and reboots of these much loved film. Remember Pyscho…Dear God…the Pink Panther movies….the originals were classic…Steve Martin is no Peter Sellers…,UGH…where is the originality in Hollywood these days…
MrsBPitt, yes the Pink Panther remakes are a great example of unnecessary reboots. So terrible. I wonder how they even did financially?
Yup.
While these women are all funny, this movie will be a disaster.
I forget who said it… (Bill M?), but and actor said the sum of this. If you loved a film as a child up you loved it as it was.You can’t improve upon a nostalgic memory.
Yes, yes and yes.
I agree…but people who fight ghosts is a pretty open subject for a film. If good writers are put on it, it could be really great.
I think doing a “reboot” instead of a “remake” saves them from having to compete with the original.
I can’t stand reboots of good, classic films. Hollywood can’t conceive an original idea.
@Zwella Ingrid
The only remake/reboot of a classic film that I’ve EVER liked more than the original is “Hairspray”….other than that? They just need to quit. Come up with a new “Ghostbusters”…
Me too. I’m sure this will be a non-funny disaster.
Yup Yup! Me too
Me too. This cast won’t have the same flavor as the original. I don’t know what ‘reboot’ means in terms of the world of the Ghostbusters films. Does it mean they’re going to pretend the original crew never existed?
I’d rather see the three remaining crew come back as the older men they are and dealing with their ‘aged’ bodies but being more experienced and knowledgeable and using current ghost hunting technology. I think that would be hilarious. I know Ivan is gone but they could find somebody.
What I’m getting from this all-female cast is that it’s going to be about a bunch of silly women trying to be half-serious and half-comedic. I don’t think they can pull it off as good as the original cast did.
I get the same vibe about the female cast, anne. Silliness, cattiness, bitchiness, and snarkiness for 2 hours straight. Melissa provides the fat girl jokes, Leslie provides the bug-eyed, loud, sassy black woman jokes, and the 2 skinny blondes serve as the hot ones.
Wow. Sexist much?
Why? Just why? No disrespect to the four talented ladies, but there is no reason for a remake of Ghostbusters. Why can’t Hollywood come up with an original idea instead? I’m so tired of the unnecessary remakes.
Just think of all the talented writers out there coming up with new, fresh material, but Hollywood insists on these insipid reboots. It’s like what they say about musicians covering a song – if you can’t do it better than the original, don’t bother at all!
You said it!
There are imaginative things being written out there, but everyone in publishing and in Hollywood wants only Sure things. It’s killing their box office.
And if McCarthy’s going to be in it, I doubt I’ll go see it. Not a fan.
Another childhood favorite to be ruined. Like Star Wars and Indy weren’t bad enough.
This +100000 , I’m a child of the eighties and i find this completely unnecesary. If Hollywood dares to touch The Goonnies too (my favourite) my childhood will be completely ruined.
Shh, don’t give them any ideas about the Goonies!
I lost my shift when I heard they were making a reboot of Weird Science. I was like mama nooooooooooooo.
Hollywood is running out of creativity and relying on remakes too much.
As Sidney said in Scream 3; ” When it comes to remakes, don’t f_ck with the original.”
Its not that there is no creativity…it is that it is much cheaper to make a film with rights you already own. It is like the dress in Pretty In Pink. They try to get new use out of an old concept. Considering the movie industry is headed for the same fate as the music industry (piracy killing the sales of their product) I don’t fault the business decision behind reboots or remakes.
Yup. A ghostbusters without Bill Murray is like a day at the beach without sunshine. I don’t see this becoming the monster hit the original was.
I am having a bad case of the “re-boot blues”. If a new Indiana Jones is not necessary, neither is this. I would love to see these talented women in something fresh and new. Someone out there has to have a new idea for movies. Is the film business just lazy?
Sorry but the second they cast mellisa McCarthy this was a no go for me. I don’t know what happened because I loved her in bridesmaids and Gilmore girls but somewhere after that she just began to annoy the hell out of me.
She refused a photo or autograph at some point in there for a kid. That’s when I started to pull away from her. Story got buried because Hollywood latched onto her. Then she made bombs.
Really? Yuck. I think it was probably Hollywood and media that did it but i did go from loving her to not being able to stand her.
Actors need to be careful not to let themselves get over exposed.
I’m trying to hunt down the details. I want to say the timeline was around an award or premiere (MM promotion) so the story got buried and forgotten.
It was on here…
Over exposure is very real here. She’s everywhere and not in good movies either. I liked Bridesmaids, but thought it was very over hyped and wig’s humor left me cringing.
Same here, at some point she started annoying the hell out of me. I think maybe it’s that her acting tics weren’t so noticeable when she wasn’t a main character, but she’s front and center on her own show and now when she says (for example) “OH! OH! OH!” I just want to slap her.
If anyone ever reboots Casablanca I will consider that to be a sign of the apocalypse.
I love SNL actors, they are the most talented bunch. That movie is going to be hilarious, I am sure.
SNL cast members were the most talented bunch.
Although you are always so positive scout! A wave in the ocean could be moments away from tossing over your boat and you would comment on how lovely the water looked.
There hasn’t been a truly overall talented actor in ages from SNL. Time wise I think Fey was the last. Wig has me on the fence. She’s seems so flat outside of comedy.
Kate, maybe.
Leslie? It takes no talent to bug her eyes out and scream.
I am so excited about the concept of this reboot and will definitely go see it. I’m an 80’s baby and love the original Ghostbusters movie. The fact that it’s being redone with a female cast just makes me love it more. I just really hope they don’t drop the ball on the script. This has the potential to be really great.
I detest the idea of a Ghostbusters remake (I refuse you use the word reboot). This cast in anything else? I’d be totally into it. For Ghostbusters? Ugh. I’ll stay home and watch my Bluray of the original thanks.
But remakes and reboots are two very different things. A remake shares the same storyline and characters, a reboot is the same concept (a team of ghost hunters).
I love the original and I’m torn between not wanting them to reboot yet another classic, and loving the idea of another female ensemble comedy with this great cast.
Kate McKinnon is briiliant on SNL. I most excited to see her in this list, but I do like all four of them.
+1
This will only make them look bad in comparison.
Paul Feig has been keeping his word about making more movies with women in comedy. I just wish it was not a reboot.
Wow, nothing brings out the misogyny like an all-female ghostbusters. (Not you fine Celebitches, of course. Just in general around other blogs and social media.)
Is it misogyny or is it about not not wanting another reboot?
I don’t know- does the reboot intend to focus on eye-rolling maternity leave/ breastfeeding, menstration, or sandwich-making? If so then I guess they are criticizing the reboot.
Me, I take the equal opportunity, “no more re-boots” position as I don’t think this nor the Indiana Jones one is necessary. Does not matter who is in it.
It’s a bit of both. However, the misogyny is out in full force over this. I mean while the Indiana Jones reboot is going to go through reboot criticism, it’s not going to get nearly as much as this will or there is going to be some caveat to make it ok. “I hate reboots/come up with new ideas, but I like Pratt so this may ok” is different from “This is going to suck completely”. It’s also a factor of finding a legitimate reason to mask the illegitimate one. If the amount of people who came out to show their love for original ideas because this film matched the amount of people that actually go to see and support original films, this reboot/remake issue wouldn’t be one.
Definitely a lot of misogynist responses, it’s gross. Easy way to tell that someone is not worth listening to: this is a pretty dumb idea as movies go. So if they cannot find a way to criticize it without using sexist language and gender stereotypes, they’re a worthless moron.
I don’t think I would have been on board for a Ghostbusters III with the original cast but the reboot with the all female cast sounds fantastic! The only issue I will have is being old enough to have seen the original a bunch of times in the theater. I don’t know if I can over come that. But I think they have a good shot.
No thanks.
I don´t know who the other three are but with Melissa McCarthy as the lead (somehow i think they will focus on her) this will become some silly s*it like Tammy. This whole project screams overacting, silly faces and try-hard dumb jokes.
No thanks.
If they have to reboot Ghostbusters, then I like the idea of an all-female cast. However, I’m put off by Feig’s casting choice, even though I like all four of them as individuals. The original film worked because it struck a nice balance between comedy and drama: Sigourney Weaver brought some serious acting heft to the party. and Harold Ramis was a great straight man for Ackroyd and Murray to play off. When it was rumoured that Emma S and J-Law were in the casting mix, it looked like Feig was looking for a similar balance. But now it looks as if its primarily going to be a SNL laugh-fest, and that interests me much less.
Hollywood doesn’t do this for lack of originality. Hollywood does this because reboots and such nearly guarantee at least making their money back. With movies costing so much to make, they won’t risk the money in new, creative ideas.
Ghostbusters II had a few funny things to remember. My husband and I frequently say, “why am I drippings wis goo?” and then erupt into crazy laughter. And Bill Murray is just funny, so there’s that.
I’m just glad that the cast isn’t just young and white and thin actresses. Yay diversity!
I like Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.
But I have never thought Kristen Wiig or Melissa McCarthy are funny. I just don’t get it. There I said it.
As for the movie, I’m not terribly excited. I hope it’s not a direct reboot, like maybe make them the next gen of ghostbusters. Idk. I’ll wait for the trailer.
I’ll watch it and barring a terrible script, I’ll be entertained. These are 4 hilarious women and regardless of how much I liked this movie as a kid, I’m not going to cast ruin on what could be good film before it even gets out of the gate. Hell, it may not live up to the first, but Kate Mckinnon and Leslie Jones could read the phone book and surpass the second. The Hollywood reboot/remake machine is not going to go anywhere if we tank an all female vehicle. We’re going to have to accept that we will get remakes/reboots to pay for the risky original films that people tend to avoid.
I’m only for this reboot because they’re using an all-female cast. It feels right. BM, DA, HR, and EH are irreplaceable. There’s no way their (male) chemistry could be duplicated. I hope it turns out well, and doesn’t bomb!
Yay! These ladies are amazing. I hope they have good material to work with.