Paul Feig Reveals Why He Wanted Women to Lead GHOSTBUSTERS Sequel

Paul Feig specializes in sequels, but he tries to never do the same thing twice.

"I like to ask, 'What haven't I seen women in that would be a cool role for them to play?'" the GHOSTBUSTERS director says. A little brainstorming led him to realize the next logical female-reboot should be the successful '80s sci-fi franchise.

"'Ghostbusters' kind of just came about," he says. "Because they were talking to me about doing the sequel and I just couldn't figure out how to do it. You have to carry over something that started 25 years ago and you have an already-established mythology. I don't know. I couldn't get my head around it. I'm sure someone else could have, but it was sitting dormant forever."

Inspiration did not come immediately, but then something clicked, "It was only when I realized that I love this property and I love the idea of this. I mean, I love the original film, but I also just love the idea of busting ghosts and kind of paranormal warriors. I thought, 'You know, if I could do this with the funny women I know and kind of just do a new origin story...' I'm more interested in what would happen today. You know, you see things on TV about ghosts, but none of it's real. What if, suddenly, something started happening? What happens when that just begins to happen to people? Also, how do they develop their technology? It's not as fun if they're just handed their proton packs. It's why it's not as fun to do a sequel. The fun is getting there."

The newest incarnation of the film will reportedly center on the newest generation of GHOSTBUSTERS and will feature cameos from the franchise's original stars. Shooting is expected to begin this summer in New York City.

The GHOSTBUSTERS film, originally about unemployed parapsychology professors who become a ghost removal agency, has had three different movies and a cartoon series. It was released in the United States on June 8, 1984. It was a critical and commercial success, receiving a positive response from critics and audiences and grossing US$238 million in the United States and more than $291 million worldwide. It was nominated for two Oscars at the 57th Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song.

Source: ComingSoon