Ghostbusters 3?!

[Bigal]

Two writers from the US version of The Office have been recruited to write a third instalment of Ghostbusters, according to trade newspaper Variety.

Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky's hiring is seen as a sure sign the long-mooted comedy will finally be made.

Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as bumbling scientists who rid New York of paranormal threats.

It is hoped the new film will reunite the original cast.

Columbia Pictures has declined to comment on whether a third Ghostbusters was in development, Variety reported.

Computer game

But director John Landis, who worked with Aykroyd on The Blues Brothers and Trading Places, has said the film would definitely be made.

"I'm not involved but I know it's happening," he told the BBC News website at the Venice Film Festival.

Eisenberg and Stupnitsky recently collaborated with Ramis on the script for his new film Year One.

Last year the original Ghostbusters cast signed up to lend their faces and voices to a computer game based on the hit film series.

The game's storyline was being written by stars Aykroyd (Ray Stantz) and Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler), who also scripted the first two films.

But the game's future was thrown into doubt when publisher Activision announced it would not be releasing the finished product.

Developers Vivendi insisted the game had not been cancelled, and that it would be published by another company.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7599824.stm

That would actually be the greatest thing ever.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Bigal*

[stokeriño]

It sounded a lot better to me when it was going to be in game format (and only in game format).

Voice-acting in a game 20 years on = okay. Getting real actors to still be any good 20 years on = decidedly shifty ground. :/

[K]

Uh, is it Ghostbusters 2?

[Hutch2004]

Unsure about the movie, it'll likely be an Indy 4 style nostalgia trip. Bit unsure if Bill Murray will do it, him having become a bit of a serious(ish) actor recently.

But that "Is it Ghostbusters 2?" thing is bloody marvellous.

[Hobo]

Why does everyone forget Ernie Hudson!?! Winston is just as important as the other Ghostbusters damnit!

I'm not sure if I want this to ever happen. Ghostbusters is pretty much representative of the things of my early childhood (to a point where I am told I once called a teacher "a prehistoric bitch" when I was about 5 years old, although I don't think it was to her face). I wouldn't be against seeing the old cast, or some kind of Extreme Ghostbusters type scenario where there are new Ghostbusters but the old ones are still around, and it involves the old ones having to come out of retirement to help out the new ones.

I kinda think it's sad that other people have been charged with writing a Ghostbusters sequel too, since it was Akroyd who created the idea and Ramis and Ivan Reitman who refined the script for the first one.

[Hutch2004]

That's Hollywood though. Having spent the day reading "The Greatest Sci-Fi Films Never Made" and watching Entourage, I think it's incredible any decent films get made at all. If it's good, even JUST good, then I'll be happy. If it's brilliant, I'll weep with happiness.

[Mick]

Ghostbusters not being written by Dan Akyroyd and Harold Ramis is NOT Ghostbusters, just like how the Zombi movies ARE NOT part of the Dead series for not having George Romero involved, and just like Terminator isn't really Terminator unless it has James Cameron involved with it.

Sorry, I love Ghostbusters, but it's just not the same.

[Reddaye]

I would rather have seen this be some kind of a computer generated thing set back in the 80's not long after the second movie or something. The original cast would have only needed to do voice acting and the age thing wouldn't even be an issue.

And without Akroyd, Ramis, and Reitman involved in the creative process I'm a bit pensive about it being made at all.

[Toe]

The game is supposed to be the next part of the movie series. I could care less for an actual third film right now unless Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd are part of the writing process.

[RoyWill Rumble]

Basically everyone's hit on it. I'm sure these guys will do alright, but without Akroyd and Ramis involved actively in the writing process it's going to be nearly impossible to get this anywhere near Ghostbusters levels, or at least it will be to Ghostbusters fans. I'm sure it could be absolute brilliance, but it will still probably get shit on by the diehards if Ramis and Akroyd aren't involved in the scriptwriting.

I will definitely be keeping an eye on this and giving it a chance, though. The American Office has surprised me with how good its been and Akroyd, Murray, and Ramis could easily turn shit into gold. It should be at least interesting to see how the writers can transition between that and Ghostbusters.

[Frederick Jameson]

Bill Murray gives a major spoiler to Ghostbusters 3

Bill Murray has confirmed that he will appear as a ghost in the forthcoming Ghostbusters sequel.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the comic actor revealed that killing off his character Peter Venkman was his own suggestion.

"I'll come back in Ghostbusters 3 only if I get to be a ghost," Murray commented. "I said to them, 'I'll do it if you kill me off in the first reel'. So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film."

Discussing his thoughts on the big budget comedy franchise, Murray said that he disliked the second Ghostbusters because it was too driven by spectacle.

"The first 45 minutes of the original Ghostbusters is some of the funniest stuff ever made," he remarked. "The second one was disappointing, because the special effects guys took over. I had something like two scenes - and they're the only funny ones in the movie."

Credit>http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a201974/murray-confirms-ghostbusters-3-plotline.html

This is not to shocking considering that he doesn't get along with Ramis and Aykroyd and from what has been rumoured Murray has said the only way he would come back is if he didn't have to spend much time with them.

I guess this way they can all be in it but Murray can do his scenes separate and then have them added in later via CGI or some other special FX

[EndOfAnEra]

Ramis and/or Akroyd have already written a 3rd script, in which the Ghostbusters go to hell. It was an interesting idea, where hell was essentially a mirror of our world. You can dig it up on the internet somewhere. Too bad it never got made.

IIRC, this new movie is supposed to be a reboot of the franchise, and it will introduce a new team of Ghostbusters. The original cast will be in it, but not the focal point, or so I read. Also, it's supposed to point towards Ghostbusters being the same as Police or Fire Rescue, where there are teams all over the world. Of course, word on this movie has changed all the time, so who knows.

[Frederick Jameson]

Ramis and/or Akroyd have already written a 3rd script, in which the Ghostbusters go to hell. It was an interesting idea, where hell was essentially a mirror of our world. You can dig it up on the internet somewhere. Too bad it never got made.

I think they used that for the game but I'm not 100% sure as I havn't got around to playing it yet

[hackerjack]

Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as bumbling scientists who rid New York of paranormal threats.

It is hoped the new film will reunite the original cast.

YES! One of the very few situations where the original cast 20 years on would work, they were bumbling fools the first time so they can just do the same thing with "i'm too old for this" jokes. If they really want to they could introduce a new bunch during the film. Definately no rebooting for me.

Two writers from the US version of The Office have been recruited to write

NO! That show is just not funny, it's certainly not the right kind of humour for Ghostbusters.

Bill Murray has confirmed that he will appear as a ghost in the forthcoming Ghostbusters sequel.

Actually I really like that idea

[Hobo]

I hope Ramis and Ackroyd lose some weight before filming.

I'm not actually sure I want this to happen and I love Ghostbusters.