Oftentimes, a film fails due to circumstance rather than quality, which was absolutely the case for the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot. The film, which starred a dynamite cast of women, underwhelmed at the box office and ultimately lost money.
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In a recent interview with Dan Rather, the original film’s star, Dan Aykroyd, spoke about the reboot and why it won’t be getting a sequel.
While some might blame the fandom of the original films, who caused an erroneous uproar because they couldn’t fathom the idea of women fighting ghosts, Aykroyd puts the blame on Paul Feig, the reboot’s director.
“I was mad at him because he cost too much,” explains Aykroyd. While the actor was hesitant to “slag a fellow artist,” he ultimately said that things might have gone down differently if “it cost a little less”. According to Aykroyd, Feig did not listen to budget suggestions, which was ultimately the movie’s undoing.
Whether or not it was directly Feig’s fault, there’s no denying the budget was extreme. It cost $144 million to make Ghostbusters (2016), which only grossed $128.3 million domestically and $100.8 million overseas.
Aykroyd was quick to praise the film, however, calling the women “terrific” and “great.” When it comes to Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, he “wished for them that they would have been able to make another one.”
According to We Got it Covered, Feig expressed interest in making a sequel earlier this year, even sharing his ideas for the premise, which would “take the Ghostbusters international and explore the ghosts haunting the rest of the world.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like we’ll ever be graced with this story, which could have been a super fun idea.
While the dream of a sequel to the 2016 Ghostbusters might be dead, there is still hope for a Ghostbusters 3, a new installment in the original franchise. Aykroyd starred in the original films alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and the late Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the movies.
Aykroyd claims a script is “currently being written,” and hopes the remaining original cast will get on board. “I think Billy will come,” he said of Murray, “the story’s so good.”
While you may be disappointed that we won’t be getting more of Kate McKinnon’s Holtzman, feel free to bask in the glimmer of hope that is Ghostbusters 3.
