The conversation surrounding the new, upcoming “Ghostbusters” film, directed by Jason Reitman, is a sensitive one. The all-female 2016 “Ghostbusters” was supposed to be an inclusive celebration of a franchise everyone loved, but the movie turned out to be a flop for Sony, a black eye for the franchise, and toxic, misogynist fandom dogged the film on the way to the big screen and for months after. When Ivan Reitman announced his son, Jason, would be taking over the franchise and taking it in a new direction, many fans were upset because this new film would discount the events of the 2016 version directed by Paul Feig starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristin Wiig. Co-star Leslie Jones was one of the first to put the idea on blast using social media to call the idea a “dick move” and something Trump would do.
Jones echoed a sentiment many fans felt: insulted for being cast aside and going back to what was implied was the better days of the franchise.
READ MORE: Jason Reitman Says His Version Of ‘Ghostbusters’ Will “Hand The Movie Back To The Fans”
Jason Reitman seemingly inadvertently further stoked these flames yesterday when he said in a new interview that his new “Ghostbusters” version of the film would “hand the movie back to the fans,” a loaded statement that was taken as a condescending one suggesting the franchise was taken away from the true fans (men) and given to others (women). It may not have been meant that way, but that’s how it came across, and the backlash on social media was swift and fierce.
Reitman quickly responded that his remarks were misunderstood. “Wo, that came out wrong!” he tweeted. “I have nothing but admiration for Paul and Leslie and Kate and Melissa and Kristen and the bravery with which they made Ghostbusters 2016. They expanded the universe and made an amazing movie!”
And to be entirely fair, as tone-deaf as his comments may have sounded in the original interview in questions, Reitman had expressed his admiration for Feig’s version before.
READ MORE: Ernie Hudson Suggests The Original Cast Will Return In Upcoming ‘Ghostbusters’ Sequel
“I have so much respect for what Paul created with those brilliant actresses, and would love to see more stories from them,” Reitman told EW when the new ‘Ghostbusters’ film was first announced. “However, this new movie will follow the trajectory of the original film.”
READ MORE: ‘Ghostbusters’ Lives: Jason Reitman To Direct New Film Set In The Original Universe
To be further impartial, Feig’s movie placed itself outside of the classic “Ghostbusters” timeline, so it would be strange for Reitman’s version to not discount it and or include those characters (though Feig included original characters with cameos so who knows). Furthermore, one person who didn’t take the comments negatively was Paul Feig. He also went on social media to defend Reitman.
“Jason was a supporter of mine at a time when I couldn’t get movies made. He has always been a true gentleman to me and a supporter of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. I can’t wait to see his take on the Ghostbusters universe. Big love and respect to you, Jason. Your fan, Paul.”
One supposes the drama is quelled for now, but look, “Ghostbusters” is a sensitive topic now. The 2016 version was thrown under the bus many times for many bad faith reasons and fans are feeling bruised here. If everyone is on the same team and as respectful as they claim to be, it wouldn’t hurt everyone to watch their language in order to keep this already-fraught project out of the drama spotlight.
“Ghostbusters,” the Jason Reitman version, is said to center around a new generation of teenagers and sport a “Stranger Things“-like vibe. Ernie Hudson has said he, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd will likely return, perhaps in that typical mentor, hand-off role, but none of this is currently confirmed. The picture is expected to arrive in the summer of 2020.
https://twitter.com/JasonReitman/status/1098416898541215744
https://twitter.com/paulfeig/status/1098499780685320192
