Yet another new development on the seemingly endless saga of Getting The Ghostbusters 3 Script To The Point Where Someone Can Make The Film Itself: talking with Vanity Fair, Dan Aykroyd has revealed that he’s back in charge of writing the scriptalongside fellow bustin’ veteran Harold Ramis.
From the sound of it, this means US TV Office writer/producers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg are off the case after turning in a draft or two themselves. Which will probably please Bill Murray who, in his usually forthright way, hasn’t exactly been complimentary about the writers or one of their previous cinematic efforts, Year One.
Aykroyd, however, is a little bit more diplomatic. “I think he was reacting to the box office success and the general public view of the film, which in my view was a very serviceable comedy, and in the end I think they’ll make their money back,” he says. “I think he 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 wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime. We have a strong first draft and I’m very excited about working on it.”
Yes, he said first draft, which makes it feel like the movie itself is further away than ever.
But as for what the film will actually be about, the writer/actor sticks firmly to what we’ve constantly been hearing about the direction, with Aykroyd and co handing off their duties to a new breed. “My character’s eyesight is shot, I got a bad knee, a bad hip — I can’t drive that caddy anymore or lift that Psychotron Accelerator anymore, it’s too heavy. We need young legs, new minds, new Ghostbusters; so I’m in essence passing the torch to the new regime, and you know what? That’s totally okay with me.”
We’re still deciding if that’s okay by us, but first they just need to get the thing written.