Dan Aykroyd: 'Ghostbusters 3' Set to Film Spring 2012, With Bill Murray 'Hopefully'
It appears as if “Ghostbusters” is finally making some headway for its return to the big screen, with reports that production for the third installment may be begin as soon as Spring 2012.
During a recent radio interview on “The Dennis Miller Show,” Dan Aykroyd, former cast member and writer of the series, confirmed with the host plans to move forward with the on and off again “Ghostbusters 3.”
“Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray – that is our hope.”
Murray, who was a main part of the original cast, has openly expressed his disdain for returning to the franchise during several interviews.
Some thought it was due to the scriptwriting by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, whom Murray was not keen of. The actor had previously accused the writers of writing one of the worst films ever made with Harold Ramis’ 2009 comedy “Year One.”
Aykroyd, defending the scriptwriters however, stated on moviefone, “I think [Murray] was concerned that the writing on ‘Ghostbusters 3’ by these guys would not be up to standard, but I can tell you firsthand, I’m working on the script now and those two – Stupnitsky and Eisenberg – wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime, and the new Ghostbusters and the old are well represented in it.”
“We have an excellent script,” Aykroyd reaffirmed to Miller, “and what we have to remember is that ‘Ghostbusters’ is kind of bigger than any one component.”
The original sci-fi comedy about three eccentric parapsychologists featured Aykroyd, Murray, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson and was one of the most successful comedies of the 1980s.
The film then sparked a multi-media franchise, which included comic books, video games, and a television series.
“Although Billy was absolutely the lead and was contributive to it in a massive way – as was the director [Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis], myself, and all of us, Sigourney – the concept is bigger than an individual role,” Aykroyd added.
“The promise of ‘Ghostbusters 3’ is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood – because my character, Ray, is now blind in one eye, can’t drive the Cadillac, has a bad hip, a bad knee... Egon is too large to get into the harness, so we need young blood.”
“That’s the promise: we’re going to hand it to a new generation. So yes, we will begin production in the spring, I hope.”
Matthew Gray Grubler from the “Criminal Minds” is favored to be casted, Aykroyd also shared. The “new blood” will include the addition of three men and one young woman.
Eliza Dushku, Alyssa Milano, and Anna Faris are rumored to also have a role in the third film, which may open late 2012 or early 2013.
Columbia Pictures is set to produce the film although representatives from Sony, which owns the company, did not immediately respond to The Christian Post to confirm the production date estimated by Aykroyd.
