So that headline kind of says it all, doesn't it? Dan Aykroyd actually thinks that, should Bill Murray not want to proceed with Ghostbusters 3, the role of Peter Venkman might be recast with another actor. Because that makes sense; the talent of Murray is so commonplace and trite that you can just throw Nick Swardson into the movie and no one will notice.
To be fair, that little tidbit is from a report in Empire magazine, and it's not a direct quote. This is what they say:
Even more intriguingly, Aykroyd hinted that Bill Murray may not return as Peter Venkman, and that the character could be played by a different actor, a la Jack Ryan.
So that could be something that Aykroyd said in jest, only to be stunned now that it's being reported on all over the internet, or it could be something that he's seriously considering. I've always heard that Murray has some amount of control over the production of Ghostbusters 3, and that it really can't proceed without him, but I guess at some point he might be willing to just take a check and let everyone else go ahead and do their thing. One would have to imagine that Aykroyd and Harold Ramis have enough respect for Murray to at least kill off his character rather than re-casting him; I'd be willing to bet that Aykroyd will issue some kind of "that's crazy and I never said it" statement fairly soon. Although one has to remember that this is the same man who thought Blues Brothers 2000 was a good idea.
If we assume that Bill Murray had to be re-cast in GB3, who on earth would you pick to fill his shoes? Does such a man exist?
Dan Aykroyd is a hasbeen.
He is the real only good thing about Ghostbusters. he makes those movies.
If Bill Murray isn't going to appear on the movie they should exclude the character from the story. Personally I think that recasting such an iconic character will only hurt the movie.
This seems like a terrible terrible idea.
Man I defended Dan Aykroyd for the longest time because I thought he really was talented... but George Lucas was talented once as well, so eventually you have to just say forget it, you can't defend someone after they've gone crazy.
Any hope I had for this film has just been lost with this idea. Dan Aykroyd has gone the way of George Lucas and run out of ideas.
Nicolas Cage.
If true I can't say I'm surprised as didn't Bill Murray not too long ago take the script that Aykroyd sent him and put it through a shredder before returning it to him? He might figure that if Murray is so opposed to even consider working on the project that perhaps they should just continue on without him.
This is a sad day. My favorite franchise is going to the shitter. GB3 is going to be a terrible movie.
@ThePickle said:
Nicolas Cage in Bill Murray prosthetics.
I'd like to see Jeff Goldblum as a new member of team who replaces Venkman.
I am going to wait until there is something concrete about this movie... still too much in the air and it might never be released, as far as I am concerned.
That being said, I agree with people that said a Ghostbusters movie without Venkman might be acceptable but, if he appears, he has to be played by Murray... Any other casting option is just dumb.
They should cast Brian Doyle Murray.
Let's just get Emma Stone to play his daughter. Not the same character, but the same blood. Also, boobs. That ought to work out splendidly for everyone? Did I mention I've never watched the Ghostbusters-movies and would probably not do it even for Emma Stone? Did I mention I'm not even totally into her? I just namedropped the woman.
Alright, I'll stop writing now.
This whole debacle's gone to hell in a hand basket since at LEAST mid-2010.
@RockinKemosabe said:
Maybe Jim Bulushi. Just to screw with everyone's heads.
@Liv: That is funny. You aren't missing anything by not having watched the movies. They are OK and I will never understand the fawning over these movies. The second one was rather crappy.
Honestly all the talk about the Ghostbusters and a third movie needs to stop because it will probably never happen and I don't care if it ever will. Maybe people should let it go because obviously Bill Murray already has.
No fucking thanks.
@ThePickle said:
On second thought, I'm back on board.
@AlKusanagi said:
How about this cast both Bill Murray and Nicolas Cage, Cage as the villain. Through a series of freak events Cage would take Murrays face in order to destroy the ghostbusters from the inside while Murray manages to get a hold of Cages face in an effort to thwart the diabolical plan.
I heard rumors about Ghostbusters 3 all the way back when Ghostbusters Extreme was a thing and I am sure it goes back farther then that. It is never going to happen and I don't want it to because it reeks of Blues Brothers 2000. If we are lucky we might get a new cartoon series or another game with a really solid Bill Murray impersonator.