Hollywood has always looked to past success stories for inspiration. As such, certain films have a very cyclical life. For instance, A Star Is Born has been remade three times, with the original being produced in 1937. But in the last twenty years or so, it’s fair to say that the major studios have begun to over rely on this practice, often remaking or rebooting films that didn’t need it. One of the most famous recent misfires is 2016’s Ghostbusters.
That film saw director Paul Feig attempt to reinvigorate the fan favorite series for a new generation. However, the project had nothing if not a rocky road. Audiences seemed to be skeptical from the outset and were extremely critical of every decision, especially the choice to gender swap the main characters.
Internet trolls and obstinate fanboys latched onto that announcement and decried that the film was making a mockery of their childhood. The movie rode the wave of negative buzz right into its release, too, where it ended up with a very underwhelming box office haul, earning barely $200 million.
The reboot itself wasn’t bad by any means, but it couldn’t live up to the unrealistic expectations set up for it, nor could it eclipse the shadow of its predecessors. Now, the franchise is moving forward, with a new iteration due out in 2020, featuring the original cast and helmed by Jason Reitman.
However, there are some who aren’t ready to leave the past where it is. Recently, Paul Feig noted during an interview that he’d be willing to revisit the franchise, stating:
I would actually make another Ghostbusters, if anybody ever wanted it, because I loved that world. I was like a kid in a candy store.
He was quick to point out that the odds of this ever coming to pass are slim, mainly because of the upcoming mainline continuation, but he’s nonetheless quite proud of his version, further commenting:
I mean, we’ll find out when Jason’s movie comes out. If that goes through the roof, I’ll go: ‘Sure, I guess I made a mistake doing a reboot.’ But I will never apologize for it because I’m very proud of the movie.
Regardless of anyone’s views, Feig is right to fondly remember his film. There were a lot of interesting touches and it was a good attempt. But again, there are some things that are just so dear to the public consciousness that they shouldn’t be changed too drastically. It’s likely a good thing then that Sony abandoned the reboot and shifted back to the characters from the original Ghostbusters.