Ghostbusters 3
Genre: Comedy/Horror/Sequel.
Studio: Columbia Pictures.
Production Company: Unknown.
Project Phase: Dead.
Who's In It: No one confirmed as yet.
Who's Making It: Dan Aykroyd (Screenwriter, Producer).
Premise: See Scoop Feedback.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
September 15, 1996… Dan Aykroyd has announced that he's currently working on the second draft of the script. He says that negotiations are underway with Harold Ramis to reprise his role (and possibly direct). Aykroyd also boasts that Sony desperately wants to make the film given their recent troubles. Unfortunately, if the film is made, don't look for their fellow Ghostbuster Bill Murray, co-star Sigourney Weaver; they've presently passed on the new installment. So who's going to put on Murray's jumpsuit? Aykroyd says that Chris Farley “would make a great ghostbuster” and that he's talked to Chris about the project and informed him that a role is being written for him. Aykroyd would also love to see Will Smith in the film, but after the success of ID4 and Bad Boys, that is highly unlikely. But fans of the show will note the absence of one of the trope: Scoop reporter Diane notes: “As usual, no word on if Ernie Hudson will return to ghostbusting. In fact, no word on Ernie Hudson at all. I guess he's forever going to be known as the ”forgotten ghostbuster", poor guy.]
September 29, 1996… Harold Ramis discussed the proposed third Ghostbusters movie. He's very interested in the idea, and describes the concept as the older team training a new, more ‘handsome’ team.
September 30, 1996… This fellow has also heard the Smith and Farley rumors as well as Bill Murray's reported dis-interest in the project.
November 2, 1996… This person was told that Oscar (Dana's baby from Ghostbusters 2) will reportedly have a larger, more adult role in the new film.
November 5, 1996… This fellow reports that they've heard Conan O' Brien's name mentioned with the project. According to rumors he is helping Ackroyd write the movie, and will also have a significant part in it. The scooper also comments that the Murray rumors are “true.”
August 19, 1997… This person informs us that talk of Will Smith donning on Ghostbusters gear isn't accurate…but that the rumors of Chris Farley suiting up are true.
December 23, 1997… With the tragic death of Chris Farley last week, the rumors surrouding his supposed involvement with any sequel haven't been mentioned yet.
January 19, 1998… In Newsweek's latest issue, the magazine focuses on the new Hollywood landscape of astronomical budgets and star salaries. The article briefly mentions the possible deal for a forthcoming Ghostbusters 3: with Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman controlling the rights in tandem, they allegedly asked Columbia Pictures for more than 40% of the second sequel receipts; now word is they've lowered their expectations, except for Murray who still wants a big paycheck for not starring as the picture's lead. The article also mentions that so far, it's just Ackroyd's treatment and no finalized script.
April 14, 1998… We've been told by our source that Aykroyd's first draft of Ghostbusters 3 (set in a Hellish NYC) was a “total disaster.” In late March an unnamed screenwriter was brought in to work with Ackroyd and Ramis to make the script work. Bill Murray may re-consider starring in the flick depending on the script's quality, but it's unlikely Weaver will reprise her character…unless they offer her a lot of money.
September 1, 1998… Our scooper learned from composer George Fenton that“he's taken a handshake agreement to score the project.” Whether that means things are moving along or not remains to be seen.
October 25, 1998… Some interesting casting rumors: “Recently news I have overheard is that Dan Aykroyd spoke with former ‘Seinfeld’ star Jason Alexander, and he asked Jason to maybe consider playing a role AS a ghostbuster in this upcoming film sequel. Dan also mentioned that he is thinking about having Jeff Daniels and a peewee ghostbuster Will Smith step into the cast lineup.”
November 10, 1998… Dan Aykroyd was in a Yahoo! chat at around 11
0 pm November 3rd. He was asked about the possibility of Ghostbusters 3, to which he responded:“Harold (Ramis) and I are working on story points now for GB3 and expect to have a script to present to Sony in a few months.”
“That was pretty much all we could squeeze out of him. He seemed to want to promote his House(s) of Blues and his Psi Factor TV show,” said our scooper.
February 24, 1999… Three reports from within the past 24 hours about this stuck-in-development-hell project, and all seem to conflict with each other:
“Yesterday morning Harold Ramis was interviewed on a local radio morning show in Chicago. When asked if he would ever do another Ghostbusters he said that Aykroyd and him would only do it if Bill Murray was involved. He said that they have apporoched Murray and he said that he would only do the movie if his character was killed off in the first two minutes of the movie. That way he could play a ghost in the remainder of the movie. Harold Ramis pretty much left it at that, not saying whether or not he would consider working that into a script.”
Next, two European readers saw a report on the European version of MTV News that said Murray claimed Ghostbusters 3 was happening and that the actor was going to be in it. The MTV story also said the new film will hold true to the previous storylines and there will be four Ghostbusters in the new film again. Like we said at the start of today's entry, there's two scoops and both are telling us different things about Murray's (non)-involvement.
And last but not least: “A friend of mine, Kyle Newman from NYU (you may remember his Coca-Cola ad from the summer where a dog chases man into a theatre and they both fall in love with the movie) was at the New York premiere of Rushmore. He said that Bill Murray was asked about his involvement in GB3 and that he said he would never attatch his name to another Ghostbusters.”
May 4, 1999… Y'know, come to think of it, maybe Columbia is testing out the waters for a potential sequel, as our scooper theorizes…
“I own a video store, and we just recently recieved a magazine advertising the first two Ghostbusters movies coming back on sell through for the anniversary of the original picture. Typically when the make fancy boxes for the re-release like they have with these, it means that they are trying to build interest in an impending sequel, aka Lethal Weapon 4 and the Lethal Weapon director's cuts. Not to mention the new Taco Bell commercial with the Stay Puft marmallow man.”
June 3, 1999… “Internet fantasy” – we love it.
“This morning I was watching PBS at 1 am. The show was called Chicago Tonight, and Harold Ramis was the guest. For the most part the questions the host asked concerned Analyze This but one question in particular was very interesting. The host asked point blank if there would be a third Ghostbusters film. Ramis was quick to reply by stating that it is an ‘Internet fantasy.’ He then when on to speak in very vague terms about it. He said that the film was in the works, and that the studio would love for them to come back and make ‘cameos as mentors.’ He did not say who else was involved, but he did state that there was a ‘big negotiation going on.’ He finished off by stating that there would likely be a movie, but not necessarily a positive outcome to the negotiation. The show aired a few hours ago, but I think it may have been a rerun. I missed the first few minutes. My guess would that it first aired closer to the release date of Analyze This.”
June 12, 1999… “As I was crusing your site and reading the June 18th issue of Entertainment Weekly, I saw that there was a small article on Ghostbusters 3. It seems Ivan Reitman was discussing his new DVD release of Ghostbusters and they asked about future movies. He said ‘Dan Aykroyd came to his house three weeks ago to talk about the idea.’ Harold Ramis wants to direct and Ivan would produce. They haven't really figured things out, but it sounds like a definite possibility…”
July 10, 1999… Want to go to the Sony Pictures website? Try clicking on www.ghostbusters3.com. Apparently Sony has secured domain. Interesting. Now somebody please tell us www.blackdog2.com is still dead.
October 25, 1999… Take a boo at the Ghostbusters HQ website to download a QuickTime video clip of Dan Ackroyd speaking about the current status of GB3. Ackroyd was videotaped by Rob Cleaton at 72nd Shennandoah Apple Blossum Festival (both him and his wife Donna were Grand Marshals of said parade), and said the first draft of the script was done and that Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and himself were working on making it become a reality. Ghostbusters HQ is also reporting that their sources have tipped them off that the 2000 movie schedule for Ackroyd will be revealed in December, and there's the possibility that Ghostbusters 3 might be mentioned at that time.
November 12, 1999… The webmaster from Ghostbusters Central dropped us a line this morning to tell us there should be a blurb about the fate of Ghostbusters 3 on today's edition of Access Hollywood. Chad, the webmaster of GC, hints that Ackroyd will reveal that Columbia doesn't want to produce a third installment.
November 18, 1999… If you didn't watch Access Hollywood and heard for yourself the dissapointing news about the Ghostbusters 3 project from Ackroyd's own lips, we've got a scooper who'll fill you in:
“Just a little note to put the final nail in the coffin on the fate of Ghostbusters 3. I attended a press junket last week for Diamonds, the new Kirk Douglas movie which also stars Dan Ackroyd. After all the internet rumours, I decided to ask Ackroyd about the fate of Ghostbusters 3 to set the record straight. This is a loose quote from him about the fate of the project.
'It doesn't look like it's going to happen for the same reason they aren't going to make Men In Black 2. The above the line cost is way too much for the studio to see it to be economically feasible. It's a shame too because everyone wants to do it. Even Bill Murray said he would work a few days on it. I did finish a script. Harold Ramis liked parts of it. Ivan Reitman liked parts of it too. There's definitely an interest from all of the original parties invovled to make it. But the studio just doesn't want to take the risk. My personal opinion is when you look at the success of the other two..well, there would be plenty of money to go around for everyone. So unfortunately, it looks like its just not going to happen based on the studio's feelings, not from anyone else.'
”You could tell when he talked about it he had a definite feeling of regret that it's not going to happen."
May 9, 2000… An anonymous scooper pointed us to a short but sweet story on Jam! In the story, Ivan Reitman commented on this project. And no, it's looking somewhat less than good.
“There will be no Ghostbusters 3. There's an audience for one, but I can't solve all the script problems. I'm also not certain I could make the deals with the stars and the studio.” In regards to the rumors about Murray returning as a ghost after getting whacked early on? “I read those stories…but people should remember that Bill marches to his own drummer and he changes his tune an awful lot.”
Between this and the last word we got from Ackroyd, we're going to declare this project dead for now until somebody gives us some better news.
June 9, 2000… Our buddies over at Cinema Confidential pointed us to a recent quote from Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman that appeared in Entertainment Weekly: "I think wanted to continue more than any of us. For us it was a great experience that didn't necessarily have to be repeated. Until there's a real compelling creative reason, I doubt if it will ever be."
This project is in deep freeze until then.
October 10, 2000… Despite past reports revealing the Ghostbusters 3 project is a no-go, a Movie Headlines scooper managed to find this interesting tid-bit that indicates Sony Pictures may not be ready to throw in the towel just yet:
“However, I thought it would be quite interesting for you to know that if you enter the url www.ghostbusters3.com you get directed to SONY.com!”
But the question now is, just because Sony bought the domain, does that make them committed to making the sequel?
July 31, 2002… IGN FilmForce's Stax has published his review of the screenplay for Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent. The March 10, 1999 draft that Stax examines was written by Dan Ackroyd. While the project has been effectively dead for the past three years, that doesn't stop FilmForce's resident cinematic critic to deliver his verdict about the screenplay: he didn't like it.
Stax also confirms the earlier rumors that there are new Ghostbuster characters introduced in GB3 including “Franky, a body-pierced, tough New Jersey punker; Lovell, a dread-locked dude; Moira, a pretty but uptight gymnast and science grad; and Carla, a Latino beauty. There's also Nat, a prepubescent genius whose powerful brain has made his head abnormally large. Despite his youth, Nat serves as a supervisor for the new GBs.” Returning characters such as the original four Ghostbusters and supporting pals like Annie Potts and Rick Moranis are reduced to secondary roles, or worse, cameos. There's no mention of Sigourney Weaver's character at all.
The storyline is about the damned souls of Hell being sent to New York City because there's no more room in the big inferno. The new Ghostbusters, with the help and mentoring of the older GBs, must venture into the Hell realm and find out the reason for the problem. Even though the premise was fine with Stax, enough of the original Ghostbusters charm and comedy was sorely lacking in Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent that he couldn't give the script his recommendation.
“You fall in love with some characters for very specific reasons and sometimes it's just impossible to see new actors take over those series/franchises,” writes Stax in his review. “I think Ghostbusters might be such a case but if these new GBs had more personality, if they were developed further, perhaps I'd have accepted the transition. I just never cared about these new Ghostbusters, though.”