The spectre of the new Ghostbusters film shows no sign of vanishing. Just when we think it might have disappeared in a splat of ectoplasm, along comes another news story or rumour about the potential sequel/reboot/requel/whatever. Today brings word that Ivan Reitman – the man who directed both the original 1984 film and 1989’s Ghostbusters II – is no longer calling the shots for the new movie{
Sony, however, appears to be pushing on with the idea, unwilling to let a potential new franchise wither. Reitman is staying aboard as a producer, and will likely have some say in who ends up hoisting the megaphone. He’s also been overseeing the work by writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, which has needed some tweaking in the wake of Harold Ramis’s tragic death last month. No plot details about the movie have been officially confirmed, but it does still appear to see a passing of the torch from the original Ghostbusters to a new team. Looks like that will be happening around the director’s chair, too.
The studio is hoping that production can kick off next year for a 2016 release, but this is just the latest disappointment. Depending on whether or not Bill Murray actually agrees to appear, this new offspring is carrying less and less of the original movie’s DNA. Reitman’s latest film, American football drama Draft Day, hits US cinemas on April 11, but there is no UK date set yet.