Ghostbusters 3 – A Sequel, A Remake, Should We Even Care Anymore?
Fans have been hearing rumblings, rumors and speculation about a new Ghostbusters for so long it’s gotten ridiculous – should fans even care anymore?
It’s been a long, drawn out road for fans hoping to see Ghostbusters 3. And now it sounds like it will be less likely the original cast would ever reunite for another funny spooky adventure and the next Ghostbusters film – if there ever will be one – will be a remake of the original 1984 film.
Oh joy.
The first rumblings of a third Ghostbusters film was way back in the 1990’s, not long after Ghostbusters 2. Since then Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and director Ivan Reitman haven’t been able to appear anywhere without someone asking “Hey, when is ‘Ghostbusters 3’ going to come out?”
There have been countless pieces of news through the years regarding the next Ghostbusters film. The Ghostbusters were going to travel to an alternate dimension. They were going to battle the devil in hell. A younger generation of Ghostbusters were going to be trained and featured. The original cast were all set to return. It was coming soon. It was due out for Christmas 2012.
None of this ever happened.
Recently Reitman has been promoting the Blu-ray release of his 1993 film Dave (great movie) and what do you know – he was asked about Ghostbusters 3 and whether it was ‘strange’ for him to be working on sequels to Ghostbusters and Twins.
Reitman responded, “Well, I’d like to go forward and make new things. I think Ghostbusters should be remade, if we can get it all right. We’re working on it, so we’ll see.”
Hmmmm…. Reitman said, “should be remade”. What does that mean? Was he using the term ‘remade’ loosely, meaning just revisiting it and making another story with the original characters? Or did he mean a completely new, shiny retelling of the original story with a new cast?
Should we even care at this point? This has been such a long drawn-out saga that I’ve gotten sick of hearing about it. I’ve gotten to the point I wish everyone just agreed to forget about Ghostbusters 3 and move on. And what’s this about a Twins sequel??? Are they serious with that?
Reitman’s newest statement has been the latest in a long line of quotes by the principals picked up by fans through the years about a new Ghostbusters project that has added to speculation, rumor and anticipation. And really Reitman’s statement means nothing.
The one phrase fans seem to be skipping over is the line, “we’re working on it”. They’ve been working on it for the past twenty years. They are no more closer to making a new Ghostbusters film than they ever were.
I sometimes feel bad for Ghostbusters fans who really want to see a new Ghostbusters film be made. The most optimistic ones have taken any random quote or rumor and truly feel and believe that ‘this time’ the ball has finally gotten rolling and we’d be seeing Ghostbusters 3 by the end of the year.
They kind of remind me of those folks who spend their lives studying and looking for Bigfoot and all they have to show for all their years of hard work is some strands of hair stuck to a tree. And those hairs are later found out were left behind by a deer scratching its butt.
I remember one fan telling me how Eliza Dushku will make a cool, hot Ghostbuster and the film will be like a paranormal Charlie’s Angels with Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis being their mentors. I’m not sure how that was supposed to be a good thing. It didn’t happen anyway. Although I do agree Dushku probably would have looked pretty hot getting slimed.
I can’t really blame the fans. Why shouldn’t they want another Ghostbusters movie? The first one is a truly great movie that had a great cast, funny jokes and a cool premise. Who wouldn’t want to see them return? So it shouldn’t be surprising that any random tidbit of news that is heard would be discussed and dissected and add to the hope that the film will eventually get made.
Naturally the studio would like to have another Ghostbusters movie. It would be a huge hit and could restart a popular franchise. It would practically guarantee a steady income with sequels and merchandise. Of course they would be all for it. If the suits in Hollywood had it their way a third Ghostbusters film would have been made back in the 90’s. By now we would probably be up to ‘Ghostbusters 12: The Quickening’.
Out of the original cast Aykroyd seems to be the one most excited to make Ghostbusters 3. Maybe because he has that whole spiritual, paranormal fixation and Ghostbusters will give him a chance to play in that arena again. He can write himself some of that cool techno-babble, which he’s always good at reciting.
It’s also the last great film from his past that he could revisit (Blues Brothers 2000 did nothing for his Elwood persona. At least he still has the House of Blues).
Plus, a third Ghostbusters film would get him some high profile acting work and he could take a break from hocking that vodka in a skull bottle. Geez, I don’t even remember the last time I saw him in a movie. It’s a real shame that Aykroyd’s last biggest cinematic offering was doing the voice in Yogi Bear.
Ramis has focused on directing, but he’d probably be willing to join his pals just for the novelty of doing a movie again with them. Reitman’s recent directing efforts haven’t really been dazzling – No Strings Attached, My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
We’ve seen his name more often recently as producer on a bunch of films. In fact, if they were ever to make a new Ghostbusters movie perhaps he might be better off in that producing role and hand the directing duties to his son Jason, who could bring a bit more enthusiasm and a new perspective to the project.
I don’t really hear Sigourney Weaver’s name mentioned too much with all this Ghostbusters 3 talk. When I do it’s always vague kind of stuff, like Venkman and Dana are living together off-camera and in the end of the movie that’s when we would get a cameo by Bill Murray. I don’t think it matters much. Weaver’s character would be somewhat moot without Murray in the movie, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
The only other mention I hear of her character is her son Oscar from Ghostbusters 2 being all grown up and learning the Ghostbusting business. Out of all these rumors it never sounds like there’s much of a part for Weaver. Maybe she would drop in on the set one day and do a scene for the nostalgia factor and as a favor to the guys, but I can’t imagine much more than that.
She’s certainly not losing sleep over whether this thing ever gets made or not. I’m guessing she has better things to do. She’s been bouncing between doing big stuff like Avatar and smaller films. In fact just recently I saw she was appearing in a play near me for the next month. I’ve always liked her since she was nice enough to sign an Aliens picture for me.
Anyway, she doesn’t need Ghostbusters 3 and having her come back doesn’t sound like a top priority.
One person we definitely shouldn’t expect to see in a new Ghostbusters movie is Rick Moranis. He’s long since retired from acting and doesn’t seem at all eager to return to it. He didn’t even want to do voicework in that Ghostbusters videogame.
Apparently he doesn’t need the money. I suspect those Honey, I Shrunk the Kids flicks made him a tidy fortune. So the odds of seeing Louis Tully walking around in his goofy workout clothes are slim to none. I suspect the odds of seeing Annie Potts’ Janine return are also pretty non-existent.
Although these two characters were funny in the original film, I think they’re probably viewed as expendable in any sequel. There would only be a limited amount of time to spend on the original characters and a spotlight would have to shine on the ‘younger’ ones. The younger generation I would expect to take up the bulk of screentime. So Louis and Janine returning would just take up space. They needn’t worry about it anyway, Moranis wouldn’t come back.
However, the big gun of all this, the one cast member that this project rests on, is of course Bill Murray. He’s Mister Ghostbuster. Everyone loves him and they want to see him back. And guess what? He doesn’t want to come back.
Murray has been pretty adamant about not wanting to do another Ghostbusters movie. There have been things through the years that nurtured fans hopes that he changed his mind. He did the voice in the videogame. He wore a Ghostbuster outfit at an awards show. It all amounted to nothing and nothing has changed the fact that he simply doesn’t want to do another Ghostbusters movie.
I remember acouple of years ago he was on Howard Stern and, what do you know, the Ghostbusters sequel was brought up. At that point a script had been written – I have no idea which one this was. And Murray said it’s been sitting in his house for awhile now and yeah, maybe he should get around to reading it.
He just isn’t interested. Never was and never will be. They were lucky he agreed to do Ghostbusters 2! He’d rather spend his time at celebrity golf tournaments, working with Wes Anderson, making smaller films and have Hollywood trying to track him down when they have a script they want him to read.
The latest word from Aykroyd is that Murray will definitely not be involved in another Ghostbusters film. Apparently all that pleading for the last twenty years, all those scripts that were written, all the ideas of having him return didn’t pay off. They should have saved their time and listened to him decades ago when Murray said he wasn’t interested.
So where does this leave us with a Ghostbusters 3? Nowhere. What do fans expect from a new film? I don’t know.
Ghostbusters was and still is a great movie. It’s one of my favorite comedies. Everything came together perfectly in that summer of ’84 to create a terrific movie. Everyone loved it. You couldn’t go anywhere that summer without hearing the theme song on the radio and seeing people sport Ghostbusters t-shirts. But it’s been done.
They’re not going to recapture that magic again. What’s the point of trying to shanghai the cast to make another one. It’s been nearly thirty years since the original, when will everyone just give up with this idea of a third one? They tried their best, but it’s just not happening. Let’s give up the battle.
I start to think of all the time and energy that has gone into this project that has resulted in nothing. All that time could have been used to create new scripts, stories or ideas that may have resulted in an actual movie being made. I don’t understand why everyone just can’t accept it was done, it was brilliant and there’s no point in trying to continue with the Ghostbusting idea. Ghostbusters 2 was enough.
It’s a shame that every meaningless quote and soundbyte fans the flames of this torturous Ghostbuster rumor mill. I don’t believe we’re ever going to see a third Ghostbusters film. At least not with the original cast. It probably would be pretty lousy anyway.
If it were ever to happen, it sounds like it would just be Aykroyd along with Raimis (maybe Ernie Hudson) instructing some young actors about how to use a proton pack, an offhand remark about Murray’s Venkman, maybe he’s the host of Celebrity Ghost Stories or something – they couldn’t possibly say he was dead could they? That’s not too funny. And the bulk of the movie will have this new team of young Ghostbuster recruits running around fighting ghosts. Who needs it?
It sounds like it would be like one of those old made-for-TV-Reunion movies that are flat, boring and the only cache they have is having the entire original cast to return for some insipid storyline, like fighting the evil bank that’s foreclosing the old family home. And here they wouldn’t even have the original cast!
If the studio wants to continue Ghostbusters they should just forget the original cast and director, drop the sequel idea and just remake the friggin’ original movie already. Cast this new ‘Frat Pack’ of comedic actors in it – Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd…. do some combination of those guys running around catching ghosts.
Have someone perform a new ‘hipper’ version of the theme song that will be expected to go over big with the audience. How about that chick who sings that Call Me Maybe song that everyone loves? Don’t forget to fire up the computers and make a bunch of ghosts and ghouls that will be terrorizing the city. Just get it over with and put us out of our misery.
Will it be as good as the original? I’d bet not, but at least the whole idea of a Ghostbusters 3 movie will be over and done with. I’m getting tired of hearing about this endless tease that they’re ‘working on it’. Go work on something else already!
I am expecting a Ghostbusters sequel to never to be made, no matter what gossip or whispers are overheard and I’m just going to forget about it. Leave us alone with the soundbytes and saying it’s in development. Don’t bother us until you have an actual trailer to show us. That’s the last word I have to say on a new Ghostbusters movie.
That is until another random comment reignites the flame of this neverending rumor mill….
Without Bill Murray, Ghostbusters 3 is dead, If Murray agreed to appear in the long awaiting third film of the franchise he's in, David Schwimmer would be hiarious as a new ghostbuster. his dry wit would be refreshing.
There's a saying in Ghostbusters all us fans do. "We ready to believe you" and there in lies the problem. One thing I add was an attempt back in 2007 in bring Ghostbusters back in a different way. Universal Studios own the rights to Ghostbusters for their theme parks. The show called "Spooktacular" and it ended around the late nighties. It's the reason why it was easy to get Dan in Ghostbusters gear for their 1995 "Casper" live action movie. By the early 2000's the rights of GB had expire. So, Universal came up with a the deal which they got the rights again. In 2007, Dubai became a hot bed of growth for amusement industry. Universal had plans for a GB ride for their park over there. Rumor had it that New York City was going to get something similar for a new type of shopping/amusement center similar to Downtown Disney or City Walk. The plan was to resurgence GB outside the states, which later would find success leading for a better deal with the original gang to make a 3rd sequel. But the economy crash and all those projects were stall or cancel.
I can see a reboot more likely then a sequel. Today's hollywood is reboot, redo, and rehash. Sony is in trouble when in comes to franchises. When Disney brought Marvel they were endanger of lossing one of their biggest franchise. While Men in Black 3 found it's hit outside the states, it's take here was low. Enough for Sony to reboot it now, without paying Will Smith and the others their heavy paycheck. So, while Disney wait to Sony to finish with Spider-Man, they need another franchise and here comes Ghostbuster to the rescue. Which remake talk seems more likely with the lack of big franchises not counting their 007 deal they made. I could see them pulling a Battlestar Galactica reboot trick, that Universal did over Glen L. Larson. While the creator of BSG had rights to the movie(which he loss now too), he hasn't got a say in TV cause he failed to produce content for that series. Universal got around that and use this to make their reboot. I can see Sony doing the same thing. They remake the 1st film, but change it enough to where it's familiar, but not following note by note the original film.
Also, I not sure Murray is really needed anymore. I say this cause when is the last time Bill Murray did a successful mainstream comedy. I think he's found his niche with all those Wes Anderson films. His last film mainstream was the remake of "Get Smart" and that was a cameo. I'm not taking anything away from the man, but he's not the same actor from those early films. Same for Dan and Harold. Yeah, it would be great to see them back a la Space Cowboy's or even that Extreme Ghostbusters where the old characters join the next gen. But if they don't try to past the touch or play as a guide in helping from the future of the series, there's no point cause we just get GB 2 all over again. Yes I want to 3rd, but a remake is not a bad idea. I mean Bond, Batman, Star Trek, Bourne, etc all reboots has manager to find success.
Speaking of remake…have you heard about the one for Gremlins 3. Yep, that was in the news.
One thing, I notice that you are a child of the 80's and 90's. I wonder if your consider doing a project on the late Tony Scott. His passing while sad he leaves behind something that started with him and JB/DS day's. Those package summer movies of high-budget, high concept, high style and all the way fun popcorn flicks that has become a staple in summer movies. That magic morning or dusk look, it's one of the few directors along with his bother that help define cinema both mainstream and artful for years to come. Just a suggestion, I know you did "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" remake, but I think this would be a nice side project to explore. Well just a suggestion. Well like the saying goes.."We ready to believe you"
I really liked the sequel and the video game, but I think at this point, Ghostbusters is just better off left alone. A remake would never live up to the original, even if Ramis and Akroyd returned to write the script. And if Jack Black and Owen Wilson become Ghostbusters, then we're going to need divine intervention to stop that from sucking.