Entertainment

Paul Feig's Ghostbusters 3 to star 'hilarious women'

Paul Feig, director of the Heat and Bridesmaids, has tapped screenwriter Katie Dippold to write a female-centric reboot of popular Ghostbusters franchise.

The Heat's director and screenwriter are teaming up to make 3rd instalment of popular franchise

Ghostbusters 3 director says movie will star 'hilarious women'

10 years ago
Duration 1:16
CBC's Jelena Adzic with who Paul Feig might call to carry on the franchise

Paul Feig, director of The Heat and Bridesmaids, has confirmed he's making Ghostbusters 3 with The Heat scribe Katie Dippold, and the remake will centre on a cast of "hilarious women."

Feig made the announcement Wednesday via Twitter:

The news comes about a month after Bill Murray​, star of the orignal Ghostbusters series, expressed his approval for the rumoured project while he was at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

"I’m fine with it," Murray told the the Toronto Star. "I would go to that movie, and they’d probably have better outfits, too."

Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy shared a laugh at the premiere of their film St. Vincent at the Toronto International Film Festival. Murray says McCarthy would make 'a spectacular Ghostbuster.' (David Donnelly/CBC)
While the beloved comedian has already shot down speculation he would appear in a Ghostbusters reboot, he happily offered casting suggestions for female leads.

"Melissa [McCarthy] would be a spectacular Ghostbuster," Murray proposed in the same interview.

"And Kristen Wiig is so funny—God, she's funny! I like this girl Linda Cardellini a lot," he offered. "And Emma Stone is funny. There are some funny girls out there."

A heavy proton pack to bear

Those cast in roles for the highly anticipated new Ghostbusters​ will have big shoes to fill.

Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd starred in the 1984 Ghostbusters. Ramis died in February. (TIFF)
The original horror comedies — directed by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred alongside Murray and Rick Moranis — won legions of adoring fans, spawned two television series and grossed more than $330 million US worldwide. 

A long-rumoured revival with the original cast looked unlikely after the death of Ramis earlier this year, and Murray's and Moranis's open disinterest in reviving their characters, Peter Venkman and Louis Tully.

Reitman, the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker who directed both the original 1984 film and its sequel in 1989, stepped down as director of Ghostbusters 3 shortly after Ramis's death.

He remains in a producing role.

Earlier reports said production would start on Ghostbusters 3 in early 2015.