Paul Feig, the funny bones filmmaker behind Bridesmaids and The Heat, has revealed he will direct a female-focused reboot of the ’80s paranormal comedy Ghostbusters.
Posting on Twitter Feig said: “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.”
Feig has just finished shooting the action comedy Spy starring Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) which is due in cinemas next year. His expected involvement had previously sparked web rumour that Emma Stone (Superbad) and Anna Faris (Scary Movie) – both previously approached about roles in the film in the past – could form part of a new ensemble cast along with Melissa McCarthy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Feig’s project is expected to be a reboot and not a sequel to the previous films. Dippold has written a sequel to The Heat and also worked on the TV show Parks and Recreation.
Following the death of Ghostbusters cast member Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler in the original, director Ivan Reitman left the project. It was rumoured that the likes of The Lego Movie duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller (22 Jump Street) and Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) turned down offers from Sony to direct Ghostbusters 3 during years of development hell for the long awaited follow-up.
Ghostbusters first hit cinemas in 1984 and followed three paranormal investigators played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ramis. The original cast returned to take on the resurgence of spectral activity in New York for a sequel released in 1989. Murray has been famously non-committal about returning to the role of Peter Venkman.
To mark the film’s 30th anniversary Ghostbusters is being re-released in cinemas on October 31. Watch the original trailer below.