If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? You probably have no idea, given how confusing all of these conflicting rumors about Ghostbuster reboots/sequels/whatever are starting to become. Filming on the 2016 all-female Ghostsbusters reboot — the one directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) and starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones — just commenced last month. But somehow, plans for an all- male reboot of Ghostbusters continued to proceed simultaneously... because what the world really needs are two conflicting reboots of the same dormant franchise. As recently as this Wednesday, it was being reported that this second Ghostbusters movie was officially moving ahead. But now original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman is here to finally put the kibosh on those rumors.
Screenwriter Drew Pearce ( Iron Man 3 ) told MTV this Wednesday that he had "finished my work on that in the last couple weeks," that "the Russo brothers — who did Captain America: The Winter Soldier and are doing Civil War at the moment — and Ivan Reitman, who did the original movie, are going to take that and run with it," and that Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum were "definitely the cast we've been thinking about." As the world proceeded to explode at this news, Pearce was forced to clarify in a series of tweets that he had, perhaps, over-exaggerated a bit. He had not, in fact, finished a script but merely a "bible" of ideas and that his vision for the film wasn't all-male, but rather mixed-gender.
But now, Reitman (who is also producing Feig's Ghostbusters) seems to be claiming that none of that is true. According to Entertainment Weekly, Reitman issued a statement to press sites stating in no uncertain terms that any rumors of spinoffs beyond the 2016 reboot are just that: Rumors.
There has been a lot of excitement recently about what is happening with the Ghostbusters franchise. As the producer of the new Ghostbusters film, I feel the need to clarify. There is only one new Ghostbusters movie and that is the Paul Feig directed version coming next July, presently filming and going fantastically. The rest is just noise.
Not only that, but EW is also reporting that studio sources are claiming that "neither [Pratt nor Tatum] have had formal discussions about the idea," and a representative for Pratt confirmed this, stating that the actor "is not involved in any Ghostbusters movie."
So can we stop talking about this now? Please?
Look at Bridesmaids. Look at Trainwreck. Look at Inside Amy Schumer and Broad City and Obvious Child and Spy and Pitch Perfect and Veep and Parks And Recreation and The Comeback and Jane The Virgin and I could go on and on and on. Women are funny. Get over it. If you have a problem with four hilarious ladies starring in a Ghostbusters movie, you don't have to go see it. Honestly, please don't even subject yourself to it. Just re-watch your old VHS's of the two very male versions that already exist for the hundredth time while the rest of us laugh in the movie theater.
When the sequel to the reboot comes out sometime in, like, 2018 (which is inevitable because obviously the first one is gonna be a huge success), then we can talk about maybe adding some men into the mix. But in the meantime, there's no need to crowd the market with two Ghostbusters movies.
I, for one, know exactly where I'll be on July 22, 2016.
Image: Columbia Pictures; Giphy
