New female cast for 'Ghostbusters 3' announced


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Like most movie lovers, I was giddy upon hearing a remake of "Ghostbusters" is in the works. Not just because of my long time crush on Bill Murray (acne scars and sarcasm kind of do it for me), but because it was such an iconic 1980s flick that embodied everything I love about film from that era.

There was a lot of talk about which key players were on board for the third installment, and the reluctance of Murray to reprise his role as Dr. Peter Venkmen. Then the unfortunate death of Harold Ramis seemed to halt the project indefinitely, like the stream from a proton pack against the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. But after years of speculation, Sony has put all of the rumors to rest by finally announcing a cast of what it hopes will be a successful revival of the beloved franchise.

Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones from "Saturday Night Live" have reportedly signed on for the remake, with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy in top billing as the more recognizable leads from movies like "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," and "The Heat."

The funny women won't exactly be picking up where the original cast left off, but rather working with a clean slate from writer Katie Dippold of "Bridesmaids" and "Parks and Recreation."

The buzz behind the new film has fans crying, "We're ready to believe you!" Fans want to believe it will work, but also hope the new film doesn't veer too much from the old formula that made it great.

Even though Sony is starting fresh with an entirely different story and cast, here are five small ingredients from the original "Ghostbusters" that should at least make a cameo in the highly anticipated film.

Janine Melnitz

If Hollywood is going to throw girl power into this franchise then they should include one of the original female players, Annie Potts, in some form. Hearing the nasally voice of secretary Janine Melnitz might put those of us who are a little nervous about the casting shake-up at ease.

Slimer/ectoplasm

Listen. Do you smell that?

Somehow, someway, a little ectoplasm and Slimer should make their way into the new storyline. Slimer may not have been the most developed character in the original film, but what's a "Ghostbusters" movie without the ghost that was ghoulish enough for the film and not too scary for those of us who watched it as a child?

Louis Tully

Rick Moranis has all but disappeared from the spotlight, and did so intentionally after the passing of his wife. But he was such a great supporting character in the original "Ghostbusters," that it would be a shame not to see his character revisited in some small way. Throwing him into the mix would be a nice nod to the 1984 version.

Ecto 1

A small part of me will die if Wiig ends up driving the other Ghostbusters around in an SUV or minivan. Ecto 1 was the must-have toy for children of the 80s. Hopefully, Wiig and McCarthy will end up cruising in the old Jalopy in the next installment to pay homage to those who busted before them.

New York

Changing the cast of characters is one thing, but changing the setting as well would be too much for some of us to handle. "Ghostbusters" took place in New York the way that "The Wizard of Oz" took place in Kansas. But it looks as though director Paul Feig may agree. It's been reported that filming will begin this summer in NYC.

Nicole Pollard has been writing for KSL and Deseret Connect since 2011. nicolemariepollard@gmail.com

Photos

Related links

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahEntertainment

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast