Paul Feig still hopes for a sequel to Ghostbusters 2016. For years after the release of 1989’s Ghostbusters II, there was talk of turning the franchise into a trilogy. To fans this seemed the logical next step, but the refusal of Bill Murray to join the original cast for the third film, as well as the death of Harold Ramis, ended all speculation.
Still, when it comes to Hollywood, no project is ever really dead. Some 15 years after Ghostbusters co-creator Dan Aykroyd revealed he’d written a script for a third film, fans were absolutely delighted to learn that a new Ghostbusters was on its way. And then, the full story dropped: the new Ghostbusters film would not be the long awaited third film, but a reworking of sorts that featured a female-led version of the Ghostbusters, complete with the comedic talents of Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kristen Wiig. Ghostbusters (sometimes marketed with the subtitle Answer the Call) was directed by Paul Feig and released in 2016, faring poorly at the box-office and targeted online by a host of vicious, misogynistic trolls for its use of an all-female main cast.
Despite the lack of box office success for Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, the film could have done better had its budget been much smaller. Now director Paul Feig is looking for a chance at redemption via a sequel. Thanks to Bloody Disgusting, we now know that while appearing at this year’s Ghostbusters Fan Fest, Feig revealed that he’s still holding out hope for a sequel, and that should it happen, he owes everything to the fans who stuck with him and made it happen. Check out Feig's comments in the Twitter video below.
Of course, Ghostbusters fans ultimately will get their long awaited third film, this time from Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director, Ivan. The film will not focus on the original Ghostbusters, unfortunately, though it's been said that the original cast will have some involvement in the new film. Instead of the original cast, the torch will be passed on to a group of teenage paranormal investigators, with IT and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard onboard, as well as Captain Marvel's McKenna Grace. Given that this “love letter to the original film” is already in place, a possible sequel to Answer the Call would likely seem odd to many. That being said, Answer the Call took place in a different fictional universe than Ghostbusters 3, meaning it’s entirely possible for a second female-led Ghostbusters to happen.
For those who would criticize a possible second crack at Answer the Call by labeling it unworthy, it is worth pointing out that few films are ever truly worthy of the sequels they receive. What’s more, subpar box office receipts no longer prevent a film from being turned into a franchise. This isn’t to say that Ghostbusters: Answer the Call is a bad film (or a good one, for that matter), but simply that it really wouldn’t be surprising to see another female-led Ghostbusters at some point in the near future.
Source: Bloody Disgusting
