Jason Reitman directing new original-universe "Ghostbusters" movie set for 2020 release

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Reitman is directing a new 'Ghostbusters' movie


Ghostbusters resurrected: Jason Reitman will direct a new film set in the original universe



ANTHONY BREZNICAN
Entertainment Weekly
January 15, 2019 at 07:58 PM EST

Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full-trance mediums, the Loch Ness Monster and the theory of Atlantis?

If so, good news — there’s a new Ghostbusters movie in the works.

Entertainment Weekly has learned exclusively that Jason Reitman will direct and co-write an upcoming film set in the world that was saved decades previously by the proton pack-wearing working stiffs in the original 1984 movie, which was directed by his father, Ivan Reitman.

“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans,” Reitman says. “This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

Sony Pictures has dated the film for Summer 2020, with plans to start shooting in a few months.

It’s still too soon to reveal the plot of the screenplay, who the new characters will be, or whether the original actors like Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, or Bill Murray will return. Harold Ramis died in 2014.

“This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet,” says Reitman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Monster House and Poltergeist remake filmmaker Gil Kenan.

The all-female Ghostbusters movie that director Paul Feig made in 2016 with Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy started its story from scratch, unconnected to the earlier films, so it won’t have ties to this new one. “I have so much respect for what Paul created with those brilliant actresses, and would love to see more stories from them. However, this new movie will follow the trajectory of the original film,” Reitman says.

Reitman, an Oscar-nominee for Up in the Air and Juno, released two films last year — the Charlize Theron motherhood story Tully and the Hugh Jackman political drama The Front Runner.

He grew up idolizing his dad’s big-budget comedies like Stripes, Twins, and Dave, and says he was just as obsessed with Ghostbustersas any other ‘80s kid.

“I love everything about it. The iconography. The music. The tone,” Reitman says. “I remember being on set and seeing them try out the card catalog gag for the first time when the library ghost makes them come flying out. I remember the day they killed Stay Puft and I brought home a hardened piece of foam that just sat on a shelf for years. I was scared there was a terror dog underneath my bed before people knew what a terror dog was.”

Jason, his mother, and sister played panicked residents fleeing the “Spook Central” haunted skyscraper in the first film, but they were ultimately cut. (Here’s a shot of 6-year-old Jason posing with his father on the fractured Manhattan street they constructed.)


Courtesy of Reitman Family

A few years later, the boy did get a laugh line in the 1989 sequel, playing a birthday boy who was unimpressed by the Ghostbusters: “My dad says you guys are full of crap.”

When he began making his own movies, starting with 2005’s Thank You for Smoking, Reitman was often asked in interviews if he’d ever want to make his own Ghostbusters movie.

“I think I said, ‘There’d be no busting,’” he recalls with a laugh.

The truth is, he often wondered about making one, too: “I’ve thought about this franchise and it has occupied a piece of my heart for basically as long as I can remember.”

His father will produce the movie. “It will be a passing of the torch both inside and out,” says Ivan, adding that he’s touched his son wanted to join this part of the family business. “It was a decision he had to come to himself. He worked really hard to be independent and developed a wonderful career on his own. So I was quite surprised when he came to me with Gil and said, ‘I know I’ve been saying for 10 years I’m the last person who should make a Ghostbusters movie, but…I have this idea.’ Literally, I was crying by the end of it, it was so emotional and funny.”

Sony is also developing an animated Ghostbusters film, but that will come out after this new live-action project, and a different team will be involved in creating it.

“The Ghostbusters universe is big enough to hold a lot of different stories,” Jason says.

 

I don' know. If Murray and Aykroyd are in it, I know It won't ve the same without Harold Ramis.

 

In one hand I think it’s cool they kept it in the family. On the other hand, I’m somewhat skeptical of this film, especially since even the second film wasn’t really that great.

 

yeah the first one got by with Bill Murrays charm but by the second it got stale

 

I'd argue "GB 2" is the one that got by on Murray's charm. Murray was a major reason the 1984 film worked so well, but it still would've been entertaining without him.

"GB 2", on the other hand, was a much less effective film on its own merits, so Murray's appeal was one of the only things that made it watchable - even though I think he half-assed the sequel much of the time...

 

I guess it depends on who took that role.....the Sigourney scenes definitely worked because of their chemistry. (imo) the first one was a little thin to begin with (I loved rick moranis and annie potts though)

 

Meh.

 

I am very skeptical for its chance of success.

All told, the revival of Ghostbusters in this form feels cynical and insincere in its pursuit of a demographic unsatisfied by the last attempt, which is surely the opposite of everyone involved. Could the eventual movie be good? Of course, and we’ll all wait for summer 2020 before making a final decision. Right now, however, it’s something weird and it don’t look good. Who are we supposed to call about this kind of exorcism, though?

The Challenges Facing 'Ghostbusters 3'

Howard Stern had Bill Murray on some years ago and he asked him as to whether he'd do a third movie, and Murray kind of sighed and said, "I haven't even read the script. The reality is, all audiences will do is look at me and Dan in the film and say, 'man, those guys are really old.'" So he basically would rather move on and do new projects and not revisit the past.

 

I’d be surprised if Murray and Hudson are involved (though I’d also be surprised if Aykroyd isn’t involved). I’m thinking this will be a “next generation”-type thing that takes place in the original universe with a mostly new cast of characters.

 

For what it’s worth, though I’m very excited about the new movie, I enjoyed the 2016 remake and am bummed we’re not getting a sequel with that cast.

 

Me too! I even mentioned in my review that I looked forward to more adventures with Wiig, McCarthy and the others...

 

good ! the real thing can now return ! have the kids 2 male and 2 female this time and have decent story about saving the fathers in alternate universe ! I would sign Matthew Gray Gubler to play Oscar for starters and then go for Aldis Hodge and Beth Riesgraf . it could be a good film if done with total respect to the original version. it might be hard but I would also like to Rick Moranis return as well.

 

I watched the last remake and I'll watch this...why not? I like the premise...

 

it's about cash, I'll bet...

 

yea, but at least we'll have them! that would be cool...

 

My god, it was bad. I have absolutely no problem with an all-female cast, but one important rule I have for comedies is they have to be funny. This was not. Lost $70 million dollars for good reasons. This thing was jaw-droppingly bad.

'Ghostbusters' Heading for $70M-Plus Loss, Sequel Unlikely

 

I'd only watch Ghostbusters 3 if Eddie Murphy was in it.

 

Unpopular opinion: the original Ghostbusters wasn't all that great. A clever idea with some cute mugging by the actors and a theme song that wouldn't get out of your head, but there was also a lot that didn't work. The chemistry of the cast glossed over a lot of flaws, and without that, unless they have a really solid script, it's just not going to work. Seems lazy and cynical.

 

You mean the one with the woman? That was a classic example of people improvising in a movie when they should be sticking to a script. The improv was repetitious, cliche, and unfunny -- unless you've been programmed to snicker at the recycled contemporary improv humor.

 

I will say this; I did see it a while ago while getting a new phone and it was okay. Not mind blowing but hardly worth the vitriol.

 

I don’t know if you know this or not but Venkmann was actually written with Belushi in mind. For obvious reasons that didn’t happen. While I don’t think Belushi would have been bad (and the post firing monologue totally sounds like something he’d pull off), I have a hard time seeing anyone besides Murray in that role.

 

I gave the reboot a fair chance. I was on board with the all female cast. I wanted it to succeed. It just wasn’t funny or enjoyable. It sucked.

This looks like it won’t suck as much.

 

I can see Ray & Venkman starting the film as the only remaining Ghostbusters (Egon & Winston having left the business) and just handling the odd everyday haunted house, business having dropped off over the last few years.

Then Venkman gets "killed off" reasonably early in the movie by a new big bad enemy. Ray is left with the unenviable task of assembling a new team - to have enough of a crew to tackle whatever it is.

That way Bill Murray doesn't have to do much work at all.. could even just be one scene if Venkman is killed off in the opener. I honestly think that's the only way they're likely to sign him.

 

That plus $10 million for 3 days work might get Bill Murray interested.