‘Ghostbusters’ Heading for $70M-Plus Loss, Sequel Unlikely

Well, not completely accepting reality:

“We’re very proud of the bold movie Paul Feig made, which critics and audiences loved,” a studio rep tells THR. “It has enlivened a 30-year-old brand and put it into the modern zeitgeist. As a result, we have many ideas in the works to further exploit the Ghostbusters universe.”

Audiences didn’t love Ghostbusters to any real degree. The brand hasn’t really been enlivened, and “further exploiting the Ghostbusters universe” is pretty much about half the reason why fans of the original didn’t like the remake. The other half being that the remake just wasn’t very good.

The article says that an animated movie is a possibility for 2019 and an animated TV show in 2018. These are being helmed by Ivan Reitman, who helmed the original Ghostbusters and who was shut out of GB’16.

Now, here’s my idea for a new Ghostbusters movie: It stars the main cast of GB’16, but Kristin Wiig’s character starts off the movie with flashbacks to GB’16… and then wakes up. GB’16 was all a nightmare. But she and her pals are all, in fact, Ghostbusters… just working out of, say, San Francisco, as part of the larger Ghostbusters, Inc. franchise that is still being run out of NYC by Venkman and Stanz. The women are still the same characters, just not written by Adam Sandler; wit, rather than fart jokes. Put Reitman back in charge. Use writers and directors who aren’t Paul Feig. And limited the budget to, say, $80 million. Get rid of the obnoxious CGI. Use practical effects. Talk to the “Deadpool” people.

Whatever the storyline for the San Fran Ghostbusters is, at the end have them file a report (maybe via Skype, whatever) with the home office. This involves cameos by Annie Potts and Dan Akroyd. The SFGB’s tell their tale… and the head office responds with “yeah, we’re getting a lot of that.” This opens it up for Ghostbusters: Paris (starring whoever the hell is popular in French comedy these days) and Ghostbusters: Tokyo and GB: Moscow and GB: Peoria and GB: Mumbai. Film them all with local actors and talent and whatnot, but with oversight from central producers assuring a consistency of look and a link of storylines. Heck, film them all in the local *language.* And then… have an Avengers-style crossover movies with all the different GB’s.