Ghostbusters game trailer

Although it was briefly in limbo due to publisher shuffle, the official GHOSTBUSTERS videogame "sequel" is arriving next summer thanks to Atari.

Here's our first good look at the spook-shooters reunion in the digital realm, featuring likenesses and voices of original cast members Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, plus William Atherton (pencilneck EPA inspector Walter Peck) and receptionist Annie Potts. The story, created by Ray and Egon themselves, is set after the second film and concerns a new ghoul invasion of New York. Looks sweet!

Get your next-gen console ready for some ectoplasm collecting (though the game will probably be as easy as it is cinematic, to appeal to movie fans who may be casual gamers). Check out the new trailer below, or in big fat HD at Game Videos.

A Ghostly Rumor: 'Ghostbusters 3' Filming in NYC?

I just received an e-mail from IESB.net who was just as perplexed as we are by this website. What is it? Apparently it's a "spy" site run by one of the crew members on Columbia Pictures' Ghostbusters 3. All of our journalistic instincts scream "bullsh*t", yet I can't help but find myself intrigued by the site where you'll find footage from "the set", along with designs for new ghost busting gear. Odds are it's all a crock of sh*t, but with this year being the films' 25th anniversary it's quite possible that this has something to do with the crew who "ain't afraid of no ghosts." If anyone has any intel on what this viral campaign is, drop us a line immediately. We'll update you as soon as it's revealed to be a hoax or not (expect the latter).

Judd Apatow and 'Ghostbusters 3': Fat chance



Anyone can write anything on the Internet, so I guess I wasn't surprised to discover that the amazing array of stories all reporting, speculating and buzzing about Judd Apatow stepping up to produce "Ghostbusters 3" turn out to be, ahem, fanciful, intriguing and entertaining -- but not true. All it took was a couple of calls to the top brass at Sony to learn that Apatow, despite his many talents and deep roots at the studio, where he has made several comedy hits, has nothing to do with the movie.

"It's not true," says Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures. "We have some great new writers working on a new script, but Judd isn't involved. Judging from the frenzy on the Internet, there still seems to be plenty of interest in the idea of doing another film, so we're certainly taking that as a good sign."

The first two "Ghostbusters" films, directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, were signature 1980s action comedies and huge box-office hits. Over the years, Sony has regularly tried to interest the foursome in revisiting the franchise, with limited success. However, timing is everything. The studio recently hired the writing team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (best known for their work on "The Office") to tackle a new script. As it turns out, most of the original films' creative team are involved as informal consultants on the new project, which would have the original Ghostbusters passing the torch to a new generation.

So why all those wacky Internet posts about Judd Apatow? Some of it is probably just wishful thinking -- after all, Apatow's comic versatility makes him today's equivalent of Reitman, who was the reigning comedy producer-director of his era. But it's also likely that the web gumshoes were confused by the fact that Apatow is producing another Stupnitsky and Eisenberg-penned project, "The Year One," a Harold Ramis-directed adventure comedy that Sony is releasing in June. This somehow led to all sorts of dreamy speculation that the new "'Busters" project would be populated with actors from the Apatow stock company, which isn't a bad idea, but is total fiction at this stage. 

For now, the studio is just hoping the writers can figure out a clever way to update the "Ghostbusters" saga. At least the Internet hubbub seems to offer plausible evidence that the franchise's fan base is alive and well and eager for a new film. If there were any doubt, just check out the assortment of fan-created trailers for a new sequel on YouTube. Here's a current favorite:

Ghostbusters 3 in 2011?

Hey, someone besides Dan Aykroyd is talking about Ghostbusters 3! Harold Ramis has chimed in, and he offers neither vague promises nor a charmingly dismissive attitude, but what almost seem like actual facts. According to Dr. Spengler, “GB3 is progressing, with plans to shoot next summer and release in 2011.” And, oh, okay, he’s got some vague promises, too, adding “All the old guys will be in it, too. Think Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future.” We’re thinking, and we approve.

Michael Cera is getting all fanboy for GHOSTBUSTERS 3.

While working on the film YEAR ONE, he fulfilled a fantasy by getting to work with Harold Ramis. Cera grilled Egon about the upcoming sequel wondering who among the originals would be returning, as well as the new generation of Ghostbusters.

When talking with People magazine, Cera talked about his experience, "(I loved) Ghostbusters. As a kid, I wanted to be Bill Murray's character. Harold told me lots of stories and I memorized every word." Awwww. Little boy awkward wants to suit up and take on some big bad ghosties.

We don't have a lot of information on the third installment, except for what Sigourney Weaver gushed a few weeks ago. Would Cera be a good fit as the grown up Ghostbusting Oscar? Who knows at this point, but I wouldn't count him completely out of the picture. What I'm still trying to wrap my head around is the Bill Murray ghost thing. It's certainly not a terrible idea. As long as Murray is involved, I don't care what he does.

Extra Tidbit: I feel like Ernie Hudson gets left out a lot. Makes me sad.

EXCLUSIVE: 'Ghostbusters 3' Script Is In, Ivan Reitman Confirms He WILL Direct

A few weeks ago, "Ghostbusters" writer and star Harold Ramis revealed that the long-awaited third movie in the series is planned for a 2011 release. This news broke only a short time after "Avatar" star Sigourney Weaver speculated that Bill Murray's character Pete Venkman might appear in the movie as a slimer ghost, and that Oscar, her character's son from the second movie, would be a full-fledged Ghostbuster.

Ivan Reitman, director and producer of the first two movies, stopped to chat with MTV's Josh Horowitz last night on the National Board of Review red carpet in New York City. He shied away from addressing Weaver's spoiler-y speculation, but he did have some things to say about the general state of development for "Ghostbusters III."

Reitman said that the script from "Year One" writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky is in and that a second draft is currently in the works. He also confirmed that he will indeed be returning to direct the coming sequel, as had been previously speculated.

"They have delivered a draft," Reitman said of the script's progress. "We are working our way through another draft... good work is being done and all of us have our fingers crossed."

What he wouldn't do was address exactly what that "good work" entailed. Asked about Weaver's recent comments, Reitman laughed and kept things light.

"I'm not going to comment on what's in the script and on what Sigourney may or may not have said," he told us. "She's been so busy on 'Avatar,' I've not been able to find her. There's some very cool things in the new draft, let's just put it that way."

Reitman was all business again when the talk turned back to the schedule. "I hope to start shooting in this next year," he said, giving weight to Ramis' recent comments about a planned 2011 release.

Then the bomb dropped. Asked if he would be returning to direct "Ghostbusters III," Reitman answered with a simple and unequivocal "Yes." It's good to see the old gang all getting back together, isn't it?

Harold Ramis Promises Ghostbusters 3 By Christmas 2012



Last week Bill Murray tried to convince the world he was not the major obstacle in the way of Ghostbusters 3. In fact, he informed people at a press conference that he was getting a bit bored with all the mucking about, but conceded it would be fun to do.

Murray went on to hint that Harold Ramis’s last movie, Year One, was the reason the studio got cold (dead?) feet over another movie. Why? Because he’d hired the same writers to bash out a draft of our beloved 1980s classic (yes, classic, the sequel was pants).

Now Harold Ramis has contradicted news and sense (probably) by telling ABC 7 that pre-production work is going on with Ghostbusters 3 and that it’ll be out for Christmas 2012…when we might all be dead because of the Mayan calendar thingy:

“Well, there’s been a lot of talk about a third Ghostbusters film, which has now become real. It’s… I can say with some certainty that there will be a third movie. It won’t be out until Christmas 2012, but the work is going on now.”

One must remember, too, the guys are pushing sixty, and I don’t want to be ageist but having them run around after ghosts and making jokes might look a little arthritic, no? I’m in favour of getting the Judd Apatow gang in to have a whole “next generation” vibe. Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, those guys.

Ghostbusters 3 News, The Gang’s All Back

I watched “Ghostbusters” yesterday, and it is still an incredible movie. No matter how many times I hear it, Bill Murray saying, “Yes it’s true, this man has no d***”, makes me laugh uncontrollably. And even as a grown-ass man, I still want my own proton pack. My plan was to watch “Ghostbusters 2” today while my girlfriend was at work (I know an inexplicable number of people, including her, who are actually afraid of the sequel). Now I feel like I have to because while waiting for a guy to come fix the leak in my roof, I stumbled across some exciting “Ghostbusters 3” news.

Bloody Disgusting reports that all four members of the original team are on board for the third episode, including the previously reluctant Murray. In addition to that, Sigourney Weaver is in, and Rick Moranis is coming out of retirement to join the party. So far there’s no word on Annie Potts.

Here are some spoilers courtesy of MTV.



Sure, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who wrote that piece of crap “Year One”, wrote the script, but I’m not going to let that temper my enthusiasm right now. The very idea Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddmore together again, doing what they do, is enough to make me ignore the very real possibility of this being another “Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls” type travesty. I won’t actually believe it until I see it for myself, but the idea certainly is fun.

Dan Aykroyd Helps Out with Scripting Duties on Ghostbusters 3



From where I’m sitting, “Ghostbusters 3″ still seems like a bad idea. A really bad idea. And while I was a pretty big fan of the much-maligned “Ghostbusters 2″ when I was ten, the film has not aged well with me at all. However, a tiny bit of interesting news from the boys and girls over at Vanity Fair  has definitely piqued my interest a bit. According to them, Dan Aykroyd is tackling some rewriting work on Stupnitsky and Eisenberg’s script, which is exceptional news considering how impossibly mediocre “Year One” was. Granted, I didn’t hate it as much as everybody else on the planet, but it’s certainly not a fantastic slice of mainstream cinema by any stretch of the imagination.

Here’s the quote in care you’re curious:



With Aykroyd on-board, my reluctance to watch “Ghostbusters 3″ has been somewhat alleviated. Somewhat. Only time will tell if this venture is worthy to carry the name.

After years of rumors, it appears that Ghostbuster 3 is finally moving forward and will likely do so with or without Bill Murray's involvement. Dan Aykroyd appeared on The Dennis Miller Show to discuss the project, dropping specific details about the sequel, hinting that the plan is to film in Spring of 2012 no matter what happens casting-wise.

"Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray," he says, "That is our hope. We have an excellent script. What we have to remember is that 'Ghostbusters' is bigger than any one component, although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributive to it in a massive way, as was the director and Harold [Ramis], myself and Sigourney [Weaver]. The concept is much larger than any individual role and the promise of 'Ghostbusters 3' is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood."

The comedian also confirmed reports that the plot will revolve around a new generation of Ghostbusters and hinted at the states of his and Ramis' characters.

"My character, Ray, is now blind in one eye and can't drive the cadillac," he says, "He's got a bad knee and can't carry the packs... Egon is too large to get into the harness. We need young blood and that's the promise. We're gonna hand it to a new generation."

As for who might be cast as the new characters, Aykroyd says that, while no decision has been made, he does have a fondness for one piece of prospective casting.

"I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler from the 'Criminal Minds' show," he adds, "But there's going to be a casting. We're going to see everyone that wants to do it. We're going to need... three guys and a young woman."