This time last year, the idea of another Ghostbusters movie heading into production was clouded in rumor, speculation and idle chatter. Now, it’s hard to believe that not one, but TWO Ghostbusters movies are on the horizon.
Paul Feig’s all-female led reboot kickstarted this recent resurgence and was soon joined by news of a spook-centric Ghostbusters cinematic universe. At the center of that would be another male-oriented caper starring Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt. Now, a total of four movies are expected to bow overall, in an interconnected way that all movies simply must adhere to nowadays.
Considering Ghostbusters has earned its rightful place on the altar of fan worship – carried out not unlike Gozer worship – it’s no surprise that the amount of backlash aimed at the reboots has been staggering. Most of which has appeared online, and most of which has been geared at the first new instalment.
Feig himself has now addressed the matter in a chat with Variety:
The Internet is really funny – I love it, but I hate it at the same time. The first wave when you make an announcement like that is overwhelmingly positive. Everyone’s so happy and you’re like, This is great. Then comes the second wave and you’re like, Oh my God. Some of the most vile, misogynistic sh** I’ve ever seen in my life.
“The biggest thing I’ve heard for the last four months is, ‘Thanks for ruining my childhood.’ It’s going to be on my tombstone when I die. It’s so dramatic. Honestly, the only way I could ruin your childhood is if I got into a time machine and went back and made you an orphan.”
In a change of topic, conversation then turned to the second instalment. At this point, early reports have yet to be verified by the studio. So, the sequel may or may not star Tatum and Pratt, and will possibly be directed by the Russo Brothers. Judging by Feig’s response, he’s in the dark on the matter, making the concept of a shared universe a tad more baffling:
I’d heard some rumblings about it. Who knew there were so many ghosts to be busted in the world?….All I know is my ladies are going to kick ass and I would not want to go into battle without them.
Feig’s next outing, Spy debuts at SXSW ahead of its widespread release on June 5th. The first Ghostbusters reboot heads into production later that month in New York, and is positioned to open on July 22, 2016.