After the ugliness that unfolded around 2016’s female-led Ghostbusters reboot, it was inevitable that any attempt at resurrecting the property for the big screen would be the subject of some controversy. Sure enough, Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters 3 has proven a touchy topic online ever since it was officially announced last month, with the latest wave of backlash coming in response to comments made by the director on Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast.
After explaining that he regarded his upcoming film as “a love letter to Ghostbusters,” the Tully helmsman landed himself in hot water with the following remark:
“We are, in every way, trying to go back to the original technique and hand the movie back to the fans.”
The comment was condemned by many as a sexist knock at the 2016 Ghostbusters, which drew the ire of many an angry online commenter with its female line-up. But taking to Twitter last night, Reitman claimed he meant nothing of the sort:
“Wo, that came out wrong! 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!”
Since then, 2016 reboot director Paul Feig has come to the defense of Reitman with a tweet recalling how the filmmaker was very supportive of the female-led feature, adding that he’s looking forward to seeing Reitman’s take on the series:
“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”
Reitman’s film will mark a return to the original continuity of the first two Ghostbusters movies, essentially removing Feig’s reboot from the current canon. Last month, 2016 Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones took to social media to call the development “insulting” and “like something Trump would do,” and while Feig said he was “very open” to Reitman’s sequel, he also defended Jones’ right to take such a stance. Clearly, we can expect Ghostbusters 3 to be the subject of a whole lot more online drama until it finally hits theaters on July 10th, 2020, but hopefully, it’ll go down a lot smoother than the 2016 effort once it does.