Sony/Columbia is reportedly pushing for Ghostbusters 3 to begin filming in early 2015 - meaning, the project might actually happen at long, long last. Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (22 Jump Street) have confirmed that they were approached to direct the movie, but that they declined the offer. Meanwhile, directorial candidates like Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) have been rumored to oversee the project in recent months, after Ghostbusters I &II director Ivan Reitman formally stepped down.

THR is now reporting that Paul Feig is the front-runner to direct the next Ghostbusters live-action film installment, though the site also cautions that "formal negotiations" have not yet begun between Feig and Sony/Columbia. Feig, over the last few years, has directed two comedy box office hits - Bridesmaids and The Heat - led by a female ensemble, and will next release the espionage action/comedy Spy (headlined by his frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy).

Point being, Feig has expressed an interest in continuing to make crowd-pleasing comedies that just happen to star women - and, as it turns out, Ghostbusters 3 (a rebooting installment in the beloved comedy/horror franchise) will apparently allow him to keep on doing just that. Matter of fact, THR's sources are claiming that the most recent script draft for the Ghostbusters reboot (penned by Men in Black 3 scribe Etan Cohen) sets the stage a movie that will be "focusing on female Ghostbusters."

Emma Stone in Easy A

In the past, such female comedic talents as Anna Faris (Scary Movie 1-4) and Emma Stone (Easy A) have reportedly been approached to play roles in the Ghostbusters series reboot. It's possible that the roles they were considered for have been bumped up to lead status, following multiple script revisions by Cohen. If so, it's feasible that both parties, along with other name actresses, will be more interested in the project moving forward (Stone reportedly declined a Ghostbusters 3 role offer last year).

There's (arguably) still a fair amount of untapped potential in the Ghostbusters brand, which is why a lot of Ghostbusters fans are interested in seeing the franchise continue with another installment - so long as it can stand on its own, that is. Let us know if you think Feig is a good choice for the job of directing the Ghostbusters reboot, and who'd you liked to see recruited to form a new team of wise-cracking (female) geeks that battle supernatural baddies.

We'll keep you updated on Ghostbusters 3's development as more information is made available.

Source: THR