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The female-centric ‘Ghostbusters’ is happening. Let’s cast it! The female-centric ‘Ghostbusters’ is happening. Let’s cast it!
(about 3 hours later)
Funny actresses don’t really need anyone to save them, but considering how hard it is to make it in Hollywood, Paul Feig has turned into a knight in thick-rimmed glasses. He directed surprise hit “Bridesmaids” and followed that up with “The Heat,” the action-comedy with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy that was also a huge box-office success. Funny actresses don’t really need anyone to save them, but considering how hard it is to make it in Hollywood, Paul Feig has turned into a knight in thick-rimmed glasses. He directed surprise hit “Bridesmaids” and followed that up with “The Heat,” the action-comedy with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy that was also a huge box-office success. But history may one day regard those landmark projects as mere warm-up for what’s slated to come next:  Feig will make a new “Ghostbusters,” with an all-female team in the lead roles as the ghoul-exterminating parapsychologists.
But history may one day regard those landmark projects as mere warm-up for what’s slated to come next:  Feig will make a new “Ghostbusters,” with an all-female team in the lead roles as the ghoul-exterminating parapsychologists.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Feig will again team up with Katie Dippold, who wrote “The Heat.” She’ll be creating a new script, so this isn’t a remake so much as a reboot.According to Deadline Hollywood, Feig will again team up with Katie Dippold, who wrote “The Heat.” She’ll be creating a new script, so this isn’t a remake so much as a reboot.
It’s official. I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call. It’s official. I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call. — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 8, 2014
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 8, 2014 It’s official. I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call. — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 8, 2014
It’s official. I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call. Now the casting speculation can begin. But that’s a hard task, because (a) we don’t know if the characters in this new “Ghostbusters” will be anything like the originals and (b) there are so many worthy funny ladies to choose from. If only there could be 30 Ghostbusters. Feig doesn’t need any help, judging by his pitch-perfect casting in “Bridesmaids.” (Who even knew Rose Byrne could be funny?) But we’re going to offer our suggestions anyway. For the purpose of this exercise, let’s assume there will be four female ghostbusters reminiscent of Peter, Egon, Winston and Ray. Feel free to chime in with your suggestions.   Bill Murray played the de facto leader Peter Venkman as sarcastic, flirty and, like any Murray character, very unserious. He was the biggest name in the cast, so Feig may want another proven star capable of carrying a movie, delivering a one-liner and filling theaters.
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 8, 2014 Our choice: Tina Fey. She could deliver a line like: “We’ve been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft’s okay! He’s a sailor, he’s in New York; we get this guy laid, we won’t have any trouble!” Understudies: Sarah Silverman has the sarcasm, but Maya Rudolph has the leadership skills. And don’t count out Julia Louis Dreyfuss, who has a knack for physical comedy.   Dan Aykroyd played Ray Stantz as an earnest, hardworking oaf, willing to do whatever it takes for the team.
Now the casting speculation can begin. But that’s a hard task, because (a) we don’t know if the characters in this new “Ghostbusters” will be anything like the originals and (b) there are so many worthy funny ladies to choose from. If only there could be 30 Ghostbusters. Our choice: Melissa McCarthy, whose career is now closely bound with Feig’s (he also cast her in the upcoming “Spy”) would only need to channel her loyal-but-unhinged sidekick character from “Bridesmaids.” Understudies: Wide-eyed youngsters like Anna Kendrick and Ellie Kemper can do over-the-top sincerity. Or for a dark-horse bargain play, whoever that actress is that plays the ever-chipper Flo from the Progressive commercials.   Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore was kind of the norm core Ghostbuster, the straight man among eccentrics. One draft of the script defined him as the toughest and perhaps smartest of the crew, a former Marine.
Feig doesn’t need any help, judging by his pitch-perfect casting in “Bridesmaids.” (Who even knew Rose Byrne could be funny?) But we’re going to offer our suggestions anyway. For the purpose of this exercise, let’s assume there will be four female ghostbusters reminiscent of Peter, Egon, Winston and Ray. Feel free to chime in with your suggestions. Our choice: Let’s think about the commanding Zoe Saldana, who showed off her action-comedy credentials in the summer’s hit “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Understudies: Elizabeth Banks is versatile and hilarious, and could probably do tough. Or Lucy Liu, the smartypants Watson on “Elementary” who is also an action veteran (“Charlie’s Angels”).   Oh, Egon Spengler. Sweet, nerdy, socially awkward Egon. The late, great Harold Ramis played him as a walking math equation, and the role deserves someone credibly geeky yet lovable.
  Our choice: Judy Greer isn’t the biggest name out there, but check her out on “Arrested Development,” with the glasses and the crossed eyes. Plus, she’s been slumming it in Sprint commercials. Give that woman something better to do! Understudies: Indie comedy queen Greta Gerwig, who has made a career out of social awkwardness; or rising comedienne June Diane Raphael, of the Adult Swim parody series “NTSF:SD:SUV.”
Bill Murray played the de facto leader Peter Venkman as sarcastic, flirty and, like any Murray character, very unserious. He was the biggest name in the cast, so Feig may want another proven star capable of carrying a movie, delivering a one-liner and filling theaters.
Our choice: Tina Fey. She could deliver a line like: “We’ve been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft’s okay! He’s a sailor, he’s in New York; we get this guy laid, we won’t have any trouble!”
Understudies: Sarah Silverman has the sarcasm, but Maya Rudolph has the leadership skills. And don’t count out Julia Louis Dreyfuss, who has a knack for physical comedy.
 
Dan Aykroyd played Ray Stantz as an earnest, hardworking oaf, willing to do whatever it takes for the team.
Our choice: Melissa McCarthy, whose career is now closely bound with Feig’s (he also cast her in the upcoming “Spy”) would only need to channel her loyal-but-unhinged sidekick character from “Bridesmaids.”
Understudies: Wide-eyed youngsters like Anna Kendrick and Ellie Kemper can do over-the-top sincerity. Or for a dark-horse bargain play, whoever that actress is that plays the ever-chipper Flo from the Progressive commercials.
 
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore was kind of the norm core Ghostbuster, the straight man among eccentrics. One draft of the script defined him as the toughest and perhaps smartest of the crew, a former Marine.
Our choice: Let’s think about the commanding Zoe Saldana, who showed off her action-comedy credentials in the summer’s hit “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Understudies: Elizabeth Banks is versatile and hilarious, and could probably do tough. Or Lucy Liu, the smartypants Watson on “Elementary” who is also an action veteran (“Charlie’s Angels”).
 
Oh, Egon Spengler. Sweet, nerdy, socially awkward Egon. The late, great Harold Ramis played him as a walking math equation, and the role deserves someone credibly geeky yet lovable.
Our choice: Judy Greer isn’t the biggest name out there, but check her out on “Arrested Development,” with the glasses and the crossed eyes. Plus, she’s been slumming it in Sprint commercials. Give that woman something better to do!
Understudies: Indie comedy queen Greta Gerwig, who has made a career out of social awkwardness; or rising comedienne June Diane Raphael, of the Adult Swim parody series “NTSF:SD:SUV.”