When you wanna reboot the original Ghostbusters franchise and need a hot young director to helm it, who you gonna call? The original director’s son, of course!
Quick story: I was obsessed with Ghostbusters II when it came out on video in 1990. I remember my stepbrother telling me at the time that another sequel was planned but that it wouldn't be out for another 5 years. I was like, "5 years??? That's SOOOO LOOOOONNNNGGGG!!!"
Well, 29 years later, It has been announced that Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989) director Ivan Reitman, has been handed down one prestigious family heirloom and will be taking on a new chapter in the classic ghost huntin’ saga. After the all-female Ghostbusters in 2016 was met with a resounding “meh” from audiences and critics, it seems that Sony Pictures is going back to the drawing board with its original Ghostbusters universe.
Apparently, the film is already deep in the works, with a script (co-written by Reitman and Gil Kenan) ready to go and an anticipated 2020 release date on the books. It’s even got a “teaser” already, fam!
Official plot and casting news is non-existent; all we know at this point is that it will be a continuation of the previous 2 movies from the ‘80s. The teaser gives away little except that the Ecto-mobile has been abandoned in a barn somewhere (and that they fully intend to keep using Elmer Bernstein’s iconic theme music).
Hard to say if any of the original cast will be involved – Bill Murray, who played Peter Venkman, has long been hesitant about returning to the franchise, while Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote the original and played Ray Stantz, has always been game; Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the original with Aykroyd and played Egon Spengler, passed away in 2014, and I don’t know where Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) stands on the issue (he made a cameo in the lady Ghostbusters so it’s safe to assume he’d be down). However, all of the surviving actors are in their 60s and 70s and therefore might not be in ideal shape to chase ghosts all over Manhattan anymore; HOWEVER, there are sources who whisper that Reitman is currently in the process of casting 4 “mystery roles”.
Perhaps, much like the franchise itself, the new movie will deal with the OGs passing down their business to the younger generation? We shall see!
(Image via Sony Pictures)
- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor
katie@younghollywood.com