ghostbusters 3 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

As the writers slave over another draft of the Ghostbusters 3 script -- with production hopefully beginning later this year -- some more news regarding the film's storyline has slipped out across these internets, with one aspect being an exclusive to Cinematical.

Possible spoilers for Ghostbusters 3 to follow ...

First up is the news that Bill Murray has confirmed his other-worldly role in the film. A few months back, Sigourney Weaver had let slip that Murray was going to be playing a ghost in the film -- a rumor that was later squashed by folks who claimed that particular storyline was featured in a very old draft. However, Murray has now gone on record as not only disliking the second Ghostbusters movie (something he's said before) and thinking that Groundhog Day should've been a bigger hit, but also noting that he would only return to the Ghostbusters franchise if they made his character a ghost. He says, "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." Murray as a ghost? I hope it works. What do you think?

Meanwhile, as most talk revolves around the returning actors and the identity of the new recruits, little has been said about the film's mythology and who (or what) the Ghostbusters will be battling this time around. Well, Cinematical has it on very good authority that as recent as this past summer, the central mythology of the sequel was being based on Zoroastrianism, which is one of the earliest religions on record. Like with most religions, the war between good and evil is at its central core, and in terms of evil there's Ahriman: the god of darkness, the eternal destroyer of good, personification and creator of evil, bringer of death and disease.

Is Ahriman the film's villain?

Good news, everybody! Whilst doing the press line at the National Board of Review's red carpet event, MTV's Josh Horowitz volleyed a series of Ghostbusters 3 questions off of producer Ivan Reitman and ended up getting a nice chunk of actual news instead of further conjecture. When asked about the script, Ivan confirmed that Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky have already turned in a completed draft for part 3 and that a new draft is currently being worked through, much to the delight of all involved. When asked about a potential start date, Ivan revealed that he hopes to start shooting it within the next year.

With this news it looks like what was once assumed to be Ghostbusters for a new generation is instead a reunion for the principals involved with the first two films. Reitman, of course, produced and directed both the 1984 original and it's 1989 sequel, so it's comforting to know that he is now returning over twenty years later for the new film. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver are all, barring some kind of cataclysmic, joy-hating turn of events, returning as well (I haven't seen confirmation on Ernie Hudson). And if that's not good enough news, even Rick Moranis is said to be willing to leave retirement to reprise his role as their accountant, Louis Tully!

Given that it has been twenty years since the last Ghostbusters motion picture (the characters have transferred to a handful of other mediums since then, most notably the recent video game made by Atari), I'm sure that Columbia pictures would like the new film to function as a possible gateway for further films, but with Reitman and friends all coming back for it, we can at least rest assured that it won't solely be a passing of the torch.

Oh, and as far as the Bill Murray as a ghost rumor that Sigourney Weaver started is concerned, Ivan Reitman wouldn't comment other than to say that there are some "very cool things in the new draft."

Wanna know how to find out more about Ghostbusters 3? Well then look no further than Sigourney Weaver, who, while speaking to the UK's Channel 4 about Avatar, let slip a pretty huge plot detail for the much-anticipated sequel. First off, when asked whether she'd be a part of Ghostbusters 3, Weaver admits to having read the script and was open to playing a role, though she says she probably won't have a very big part in it.

And here's where the spoilers come in, so read at your own risk.

Basically Weaver admitted that her son Oscar (who was kidnapped as a baby in part two before being rescued) has grown up and become a Ghostbuster. He's probably the one leading the current team, and the main focus of the film. But then things got interesting when Weaver mentioned Bill Murray, and knowing this fact I can kinda understand why Murray has been somewhat reluctant to sign on. So what's the deal? Well, Weaver says Murray's character is a ghost. Yup, a ghost. So, unlike the previous two films, this time one of their own is an actual ghost ... and that should (hopefully) make room for more than a spoonful of hilarity.

In reality, it's probably not the biggest spoiler, as Murray's ghost more than likely assists the new recruits in some way and, therefore, will be a big part of the marketing campaign. But still, it's probably something the studio didn't want leaked -- at least not yet anyway.

So if you've reached the bottom of this post, then feel free to watch the interview in question after the jump and then chime in what you think about this plot development. Does it have the word "cheesy" written all over it, or could do you see potential there?

Note: We've updated this post with a little more news after the jump.

With Fantastic Mr. Fox making the press rounds at the London International Film Festival, it was only a matter of time before someone bugged Bill Murray (who voices Badger in the stop-motion film) about his participation in Ghostbusters 3. Last time we heard anything on the Ghostbusters front, it was being reported that Ghost Busters and Ghostbusters II helmer Ivan Reitman was indeed attached to direct (though he hadn't actually decided whether or not to go through with it), and most of the original cast (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver) was set to return alongside some "new recruits".

So, sure, it's all great to hear when you see this sort of stuff splashed across the internet, but it's always best to go right to the source to see just what's going on right this second. When asked about the third installment in London, Murray waved it off and basically said that his participation depends solely on a script he hasn't seen nor read yet. The actor also spoke a little about sequels in general, saying (in so many words) that Ghostbusters II was definitely not as good as the first one, which is one reason why he's so hesitant to give it another go.

Says Murray: "I'll believe it when I see it. I saw a guy talking about the end of the world a couple years ago, and I still haven't seen that either -- so I'm not going to believe the Ghostbusters story until I see it."

Watch the Bill Murray/Ghostbusters 3 interview over at SciFi Squad

Our Favorite Montages might be a relatively new feature around these parts, but since we started sharing some of our favorites in the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking about movies that I know back to front with a brand spanking new point of view. Back in 1984, I couldn't have told you what a montage was (and considering I was only 9 at the time, you can hardly blame me) but I did love Ghostbusters ... and I loved that song.

So if you had to place this montage into any category, you would have to go with the 'media montage'. Back in the golden days of cinema, this kind of segment would usually be accompanied with spinning newspapers and the like, but in 1984 it was all about talk radio and tabloid television. In this montage we watch our trio finally making a success of their paranormal extermination business, and with fame knocking at the door, they even get a little saucy 'ghost action'. Plus, if you're of a certain age, you get the added bonus of cameos from media types like Casey Kasem, Roger Grimsby and an obscenely young Larry King.

Now, by '84 I was familiar with the world of music videos and that's what this segment seemed like to my pop-culture saturated little brain. But as I've grown up and educated myself in the language of film I know it's much more than that, and that's why it has earned a spot among my favorites -- and brother, I still love that song.

After the jump: a compilation of 'busting montages from Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II...

The latest scoop on Ghostbusters 3 has Sigourney Weaver pegged to return alongside the rest of the original cast members. Well, when SciFi Squad's Mike Moody chatted her up recently, Ms. Weaver seemed to be singing a very different tune. Here's a snippet:

Mike Moody: The rumor is you might revisit one of your famous comedy roles, Dana Barrett, in another Ghostbusters sequel. Where do you think Dana and Peter Venkman's relationship will be when the new movie picks up?

Sigourney Weaver: Probably non-existent.

Really?

SW: Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I think they're still writing it, but (laughs) I'd be very surprised ... You never know. I just did a benefit with Bill (Murray), and we love working together, but I think they're trying to create something new completely with the Ghostbusters, although I know Bill is in it. I hope my little son Oscar (from Ghostbusters II) is a Ghostbuster!

So, you won't be appearing in the movie?

SW: No, I don't expect to have anything to do with it, although I wish them well.

Weaver also talked about the planned Alien prequel, whether she'd have anything to do with it and what it means to her to hear that Ripley was recently named the most iconic science fiction character of all time. Read the rest over at SciFi Squad.

The buzz might be mixed on this weekend's primitive buddy comedy Year One, but the combination of Jack Black and Michael Cera is a pretty irresistible one on-screen and off. Our friends at Moviefone caught up with the comedic duo, who were more than happy to talk about getting back to their prehistorical roots (both in the acting and follical sense of the word), define bromance, rip on each other's bad breath, and update us on the Arrested Development movie, School of Rock 2, and whether or not either of them will be doing some ghostbusting.

From the sound of it, neither actor really enjoyed being a caveman thanks to feathery wigs that just never stay out of your lunch (welcome to the fun of long hair, boys!), and the close encounters with bodily excrement. When asked what time period they'd like to return to, both opted for eras of a little more refinement:

If you guys could live during any time throughout the course of history, when would it be?
Black: My favorite time in history ... the Renaissance.
Cera: I would say ... the '30s. The 1930s.
Black: The '30s? Wait, isn't that the Depression?
Cera: Like '33, that was a great age.
Black: Come on, the Renaissance! Haven't you ever been to the Renaissance fair? Don't you wish that was real life? A little mead, a little roast ...

That knowledge undoes everything girls have been taught about men! I mean, for years girls have labored under the delusion that you wanted to return to the simpler days of hunting with spears, and cooking by fire. If you prefer civilization then please, start up some petitions or websites or something to set the record straighter ...

Harold Ramis is the comedy writer and director everyone's cribbed from, from Sandler to Apatow. After leaving "Second City TV," Ramis went on to write, direct, and occasionally star in comedic touchstones like Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day, and of course, Ghostbusters, which have starred a slew of loveable losers fighting to get their sh*t together in the army, on the golf course, or in the middle of a war with supernatural beings. After taking a few years off, Ramis is taking it back to the beginning with this summer's Year One, which stars Jack Black and Michael Cera as loveable loser cavemen who, when Black's Zed accidentally burns down the village, find themselves in the middle of a very familiar holy war. Read on and find out what the big daddy of buddy movies had to say about evolution and self-improvement, male full frontal nudity and the lack thereof, and what the heck is up with Ghostbusters 3.

Year One opens nationwide this Friday, June 19th.

Cinematical: How much more stressful is it to deal with marketing a summer blockbuster and competing with the other movies that are out?

Harold Ramis: You know, it's the same level of stress every time you make a movie, because you've pinned all your hopes and dreams on it and you've fantasized what success will be like, but at the time you can't escape fantasizing what failure will be like. [laughs]

I conceived this movie on a big scale, to do a Biblical epic comedy. I knew it was ambitious and when the studio said "Yes, we'll do it," and it became real, I thought, "Oh my God!" [laughs] It's one thing to fail small, but to make a big movie that doesn't work is so risky.

Rocky, Rambo, Indy, all of the old icons are making their way to the big screen, and as we know, our favorite ghostbusters are hoping to head in that same direction. But rather than just jumping into the action, we learned back in March that this Ghostbusters sequel would have the old pros handing over the reigns and mentoring a new batch of ghost fighters. Now if Dan Aykroyd has his say, this will mean creating a larger new core team that will finally increase the female ghost-fighting power.

While talking with the LA Times about the particulars of the third film (he says Sigourney Weaver is in, as are the ectoplasmic specialists, and that he wants Harold Ramis to direct), Aykroyd said that he's pulling for a "new generation" ghostbusting team. This one would have five members, at least a few of whom are women. Specifically, he's hoping for Alyssa Milano (who lent her voice to the new game), and Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku. "I think they're amazing."

I get the feeling that they're trying to go for a more sleek ghosbusting feel, rather than simple comedy. Neither actress is a big name in the world of laughs, and both have their feet firmly planted in the supernatural fighting biz. So this becomes a bittersweet yay: women are entering the flock, but will we see some of that classic comedy go out the window as the story gets modernized? I like it when things get a little more slick, but please -- not too slick.

Are these the two women you'd like to see fighting the ghosts? Or, would you wish for a more comedic bent with someone like, say, Tina Fey? Who should be the lady ghostbusters?

Apparently the ShoWest Sony presentation just ended out in Las Vegas with the announcement that the studio would be returning to the very successful Men in Black franchise for a third installment to hit theaters in 2011. According to reports at Collider and JoBlo, there were no further announcements as far as cast and release date, however Sony probably wouldn't launch another Men in Black film without at least Will Smith's participation. Will Tommy Lee Jones reprise his role, too, or will Smith get himself a new partner in crime? Will it go 3D? IMAX? Sadly, these questions were not answered. Aside from Men in Black 3, Sony also confirmed that they're working on Spider-Man 4 and Ghostbusters 3, which is news we've already known for quite some time now.

The Men in Black stuff is brand new, though, and if they do hold it for summer 2011, they'll be going up against some mega competition from Avengers, Harry Potter and Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Sony did not talk more about the next Spider-Man sequel, either revealing its cast or villains or production schedule. All we have regarding Spidey right now is its May 6, 2011 release date.

Are you excited for a new Men in Black movie? Did you dig the first two? Which project are you looking forward to the most: Ghostbusters 3, Men in Black 3, Spider-Man 4 or Where Have All The Original Ideas Gone?