For a movie that still has no director, no release date and seems to be forever spinning its wheels, despite tentative plans to shoot next year, there’s surely been a lot written about "Ghostbusters 3." Either people are genuinely interested or they like a good story about development hell, but once again, more rumors were thrown into the pile this week. Nikki Finke reported, then quickly deleted, a story Max Landis ("Chronicle") was going to be involved in a writing capacity on the movie, something Landis quickly took to Twitter to deny in a series of tweets (collected by Slashfilm). But it’s not like he doesn’t have any ideas.
After some prompting from followers, Landis tweeted his "skeleton" idea for "Ghostbusters 3," sharing what his pre-credit idea for the sequel would be, with a concept that takes the storyline both into the past and future. But before we begin, you might want to know who Ivo Shandor is. He was briefly mentioned in the original "Ghostbusters," but was the main baddie in "Ghostbusters: The Video Game" (portrayed by Paul Reubens), and you’ll want to hit Wikia for more. But Landis weaves him into the storyline in a pretty compelling way. Read on….
Haha a bunch of people asking what my Ghostbusters 3 pitch would’ve been. I never had a full one, just a skeleton I’ve goofed around with.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) June 18, 2014
My Ghostbusters 3 began in the 1920s with Ivo Shandor murdering a gluttonous associate to protect his cult after he has a moral objection.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) June 18, 2014
Shandor tells the overweight man that nothing can stop the coming of Gozer; first, the gate will open in 1984, then again twenty years later
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) June 18, 2014
The fat man, who now has all the details of Shandor’s plans, threatens to go to the police, and Shandor poisons him.
It’s scary, but…
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) June 18, 2014
As Shandor escapes, we see that we’re in the Sedgewick Hotel, and that the guy we just saw die…
…Is Slimer.
Cue theme. Show title.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) June 18, 2014
Thoughts? Remember, denials by studio folks are common and maybe Landis was on somebody’s list over at Sony. Anyway, perhaps they should give the guy a ring? Let us know your thoughts and if Landis has the right idea on how to head into a third movie that will likely pass the torch to a new generation of Slimer fighters.
"And again 20 years later?" So this sequel would have happened 10 years ago?
Never mind, actually – it's not like anyone wants to see a "Ghostbusters 3" anyway. Aside from Dan Ackroyd.
My only idea for a 3rd Ghostbusters, which I still think should not be made, would be Ray is the star of his own terrible SyFy paranormal show like Ghost Hunters or Paranormal Witness (similar to how he owned an occult bookstore/performed at birthday parties in the 2nd film) except the ghosts are real instead of fake like those awful shows on SyFy. The whole scene is shot documentary style with nightvision cameras (which will lampoon all the Paranormal Activity/Quarantine style films), Aykroyd walking us through some haunted place (similar to the librarian scene in the 1st film) but it's comedic because of how bad the show is and how bad Ray is at hosting. That's the best I got.
And of course Murry should be a ghost, although it'll be weird since Ramis has actually passed away.
I think that would be a lovely start to a potential third film, especially if Bill Murray's reluctance to appear in a full-role would result in a cameo (as a dearly-departed Peter Venkman) and it would be nice to see the Ghostbusters coming to understand a little about the previous lives and leftover humanity (if any) of some of the ghoulies they have captured.
He'd still be Slimer, he still would be a fat green monster who would only squeal – but they could at least have *some* connection to him as a character beyond him being a funny gag to pull out once in a while.
I like that the three other comments on here when I typed this were all negative – as if Max Landis' bare-bone idea for the OPENING FIVE MINUTES of a MOVIE THAT DOES NOT EXIST is enough to base what an entire Ghostbusters 3 script from him would be like – pathetic.
And 'Meh' – Ghostbusters was a comedy, but when Dana is getting manhandled and her chair is thrown violently into the blazing light of Gozer's dominion, that wasn't exactly comedic now, was it?
What a horrible idea.
Ghostbusters was a comedy. He's clearly confused what genre the franchise is set in.
So now Hollywood's obsession with character prequel origin stories is going to extend to f'g Slimer! He's a green f'g blob! He has no origin story. No one wants to know his origin story or that its connected to Gozer. How about this: either don't do GB III or create a wholly separate story in the same world, same rules, without any of the orignal characters. Christ, GBII plot had more originality than Landis' pitch.