Thursday, October 15

• Bill Murray Says Ghostbusters III Is "Just a Bunch of Talk"

  

  It's been 25 years since the original Ghostbusters taught us who to call when "paranormal activity" gets out of control. But after the poorly-received Ghostbusters II in 1989, it seemed that the franchise was officially dead, at least as far as features were concerned. This year, however, nearly every member of the original production has chimed in on the possibility of resurrecting the franchise.

  Dan Aykroyd, who starred as Dr. Raymond Stantz and co-wrote both Ghostbusters movies with Harold Ramis, announced in February that production on a third movie could begin as early as "late fall 2009." In June, Ramis, who starred as Dr. Egon Spengler in addition to his writing duties, said that he was working on a story for the sequel but that he didn't think that director Ivan Reitman was interested. That same month, Reitman responded that he had "never ruled out" returning for another Ghostbusters.

  Now, Bill Murray has chimed in on the possibility of reprising the role of Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters III to Absolute Radio (via the Latino Review).

  I'll believe it when I see it ... I don't want to do it yet. There's still no script. It's just a bunch of talk. It's just a wish list for someone. Until there's a really good script, I'll stay home and play snooker, or whatever you [British] do. It has to be a serious script before I'll leave the house.

  It's gotta be really good, you know? I'm not going to make one just to make another one ... you gotta be really fierce about it.

  
  
  

  Ghostbusters - Trailer

  They ain't afraid of no ghosts
  

  Ghostbusters II - Trailer

  Who you gonna call?

  Posted 10/15/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Bill Murray | Dan Aykroyd | Harold Ramis | Ivan Reitman | Ghostbusters II | Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters III

Saturday, June 20

• Will Ghostbusters Video Game Revive Film Franchise?

  It's been 25 years since "Who ya gonna call?" became a national catchphrase and 20 years since the bland sequel to Ghostbusters all but ended the franchise. Over the years, there has been sporadic talk about reviving the franchise, but the principals could never agree to terms and the franchise languished. Now, the possibility of a third film about New York City's favorite paranormal investigators seems a possibility, thanks to an unlikely impetus: the Ghostbusters video game.

  A couple of weeks ago, Harold Ramis, who co-wrote and starred in the first two Ghostbusters films, said he had written a story for a third film that The Office writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were adapting into a screenplay. Now, with the Ghostbusters video game becoming the top-selling Xbox 360 game and second best-selling Playstation 3 game on Amazon.com, there is even more talk about the film franchise. As reported in Variety, Mark Caplan, VP of licensing at Sony Pictures said:

  For now, we're celebrating the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The game and the Blu-ray (release) will have a big impact on all of us. And we'll decide what to do from there.

  The Ghostbusters video game script, co-written by Dan Aykroyd and Ramis, contains more than 10,000 lines of dialgogue and features the voices of principal actors Ramis, Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis declined to participate for unspecified reasons.

  
  

  Posted 06/20/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Bill Murray | Dan Aykroyd | Ernie Hudson | Harold Ramis | Rick Moranis | Sigourney Weaver | Ghostbusters II | Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters III

Friday, June 19

• No Matthew McConaughey Cameo in New Zombieland Trailer

  The trailer for Zombieland premieres today before showings of Year One, which, considering Year One's early reviews, could be a bad thing for the horror comedy starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone.

  The trailer is already available online, and while it looks terrific, it features none of the rumored cameos from Bill Murray and, possibly, Matthew McConaughey. Zombieland make-up artist Tony Gardner started the McConaughey rumor months ago by telling MTV: "I think Matthew McConaughey has a cameo."

  McConaughey's publicist denied it, saying, "[We do not know] anything about this project. Nor do we know anything about his involvement in a project such as the one you mentioned.” Abigail Breslin was suspiciously curt on whether the Texan surfer will show up: "Oh...I...yeah. I can't say. You have to wait and see it."

  October 9 is a long ways off, Abigail. Until then, enjoy Zombieland's first official, and McConaughey-less, trailer:

  
  

  Posted 06/19/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Abigail Breslin | Bill Murray | Matthew McConaughey | Woody Harrelson | Jesse Eisenberg | Tony Gardner | Emma Stone | Zombieland | Year One

Saturday, June 13

• Jesse Eisenberg Goes from Adventureland to Zombieland

  Jesse Eisenberg's last movie, Adventureland, saw him romancing Twilight's Kristen Stewart. Hopefully, Stewart's stories of the undead prepared Eisenberg for his next project, Zombieland. The comedy finds Eisenberg teaming up with Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone (Superbad and the upcoming Sucker Punch), and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) on a cross-country trip of survival in a world overrun with zombies.

  Let's just hope Eisenberg is able to leave the world of the undead, unlike Harrelson who mistook a paparazzi photographer for a zombie at La Guardia airport. America's answer to Shaun of the Dead is directed by newcomer Ruben Fleischer, producer of MTV's Fantasy Factory. Horror comedies are often difficult to pull off, but Zombieland has a secret weapon: a cameo featuring Bill Murray as a zombie.

  The trailer for Zombieland is set to premiere before the Jack Black comedy Year One, which won't open until June 19. So, until then, check out these first-look photos of the movie.

  
  

  Posted 06/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Abigail Breslin | Bill Murray | Jack Black | Woody Harrelson | Jesse Eisenberg | Kristen Stewart | Emma Stone | Zombieland | Adventureland

Tuesday, June 9

• Harold Ramis Talks About Ghostbusters III

  

  It's been 25 years since the birth of the Ghostbusters franchise and the original creative team is working on a new flick. In a telephone interview yesterday, Comingsoon.net talked to writer/director Harold Ramis (Year One, Analyze This, Groundhog Day) and received some info on the upcoming Ghostbusters III.

  Ramis and Dan Aykroyd wrote the scripts for the first two movies and both starred with Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who are regular writers for The Office, are developing a first draft of the script and Ramis says he's optimistic that the new movie will feature most of the original cast:

  I wrote the story for the new movie with [Eisenberg and Stupnitsky], and Dan [Aykroyd] and I've been consulting. We're just waiting to see a first draft and where we are ... Everyone says they'll do it; they've all said they'll do it. No one has signed anything yet--we haven't signed anything either--but there's the spirit of willingness in the air.

  Ramis also talked about whether he or original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman will helm the new movie:

  I don't think he wants to; I'm not sure I want to. It's just a lot of open questions. Until we see a script, I don't think anyone really knows how they feel about it. Everyone's open to doing it, that's the main thing, that's what got it moving forward.

  .

  In addition, Ramis said that there will be a younger team of Ghostbusters this time around, with the original characters acting more as mentors.

  Ghostbusters III is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2012.

  
  

  Posted 06/09/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Bill Murray | Dan Aykroyd | Ernie Hudson | Harold Ramis | Ivan Reitman | Sigourney Weaver | Gene Stupnitsky | Lee Eisenberg | Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters II | Ghostbusters III

Wednesday, June 3

• Jack Nicholson May Star in James L. Brooks Comedy

  Variety reports that Jack Nicholson is close to a deal for a starring role in the next project from writer-director James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, As Good As It Gets).

  The untitled romantic comedy would see Nicholson starring opposite Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson. Bill Murray was in talks for the part, but production begins in two weeks and Murray has reportedly lost interest in the project and dropped out of contact with the studio. If cast, Nicholson would play the father of Rudd's character, an executive trying to win Witherspoon's heart. Wilson plays a professional baseball pitcher who's also, of course, Witherspoon's other love interest

  Brooks is producing the picture, along with Paula Weinstein, Laurence Mark, and Julie Ansell, and it's scheduled for a December 2009 release.

  
  

  Posted 06/03/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Bill Murray | Jack Nicholson | Owen Wilson | Paul Rudd | Reese Witherspoon | Julie Ansell | Paula Weinstein | James L. Brooks | Laurence Mark

Monday, February 23

• Dan Aykroyd Ain't Afraid of No Ghostbusters III

  Stoners and geeks and inner children everywhere rejoice. Ghostbusters III may actually be happening. Talking cryptically on the subject to the Boston Globe while at a House of Blues opening (no comment), Dan Aykroyd said, "Script is commenced early summer. Hope to be in production by late fall 2009." Hmm...while that verb tense is vague, we'll take it to mean that a script is in the works. Here's what else we (kinda, sorta) know:

  Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky of The Office are listed as writers, while old Ivan Reitman looks to be on to produce, per usual. Chances are decent that along with Aykroyd, Bill Murray would be on board, and perhaps Harold Ramis. Chances are less good that Sigourney Weaver would come back, and even less good that Rick Moranis would come out of hiding for the film. For certain, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the first film, and the release of a new video game based on it, so if ever there were a time for another, now would be good, at least for marketing reasons.

  
  

  Posted 02/23/2009 by Hailey

  Related: Bill Murray | Dan Aykroyd | Harold Ramis | Gene Stupnitsky | Lee Eisenberg | Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters II | Ghostbusters III

Friday, September 5

• Who Ya Gonna Call (Again)?
  

  Another Ghostbusters sequel has been rumored ever since Ghostbusters II was released 19 years ago, in 1989. Like so many other franchises -- from Back to the Future to Indiana Jones -- stories have popped up over the years, only to be squashed or forgotten in time. At one point a new Ghostbusters cast was discussed, to be headed by Will Smith. It, too, fell by the way side.

  But today, according to Variety, Columbia Pictures has finally made the first concrete move towards a Ghostbusters III -- hiring Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, co-executive producers on TV's The Office, to write the script. The duo recently wrote Year One, directed by Ghostbuster Harold Ramis.

  Unlike other Ghostbuster sequels, which talked of a partial original cast or all-new actors, the plan here is to reunite original castmembers Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.

  For now, no deals are signed other than the script. The actors won't be committing until they've read the script, but considering the high quality of the continually funny The Office, hopes are high.

  Ray Parker, Jr. -- time for a comeback!

  Source: Variety

  
  

  Posted 09/05/2008 by reelz

  Related: Bill Murray | Dan Aykroyd | Ernie Hudson | Harold Ramis | Ray Parker Jr. | Ghostbusters III | Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters II

Friday, July 13

• Acting dealz: Watts, Hines, and Robbins

  Everybody's favorite MILF Naomi Watts has no plans to rest on her laurels (or diaper pails or baby binkies or whatever) after the upcoming birth of her baby-to-be with Liev Schreiber.

  The very pregnant actress has just signed on to star in The International with Clive Owen, says The Hollywood Reporter. The action thriller about an Interpol agent obsessed with investigating a dodgy banking mogul will be directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume).

  Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines has signed on to the Luke Wilson romantic comedy Henry Poole Is Here, about a man who finds out he only has six weeks to live, says Variety. It will be directed by Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies).

  And finally, Tim Robbins and Martin Landau have joined Bill Murray in the cast of City of Ember, a quirky story about a town where the only light (from streetlamps) begins to fail. Based on the 2003 novel by Jeanne Duprau, the movie is being shot in Belfast under the direction of Gil Kenan (Monster House), says Variety.

  Most importantly, Tom Hanks is one of the producers. Considering that he also executive produced Starter for Ten, Band of Brothers, and Big Love, this can only mean good things.

  
  

  Posted 07/13/2007 by reelz

  Related: Bill Murray | Cheryl Hines | Clive Owen | Gil Kenan | Luke Wilson | Tim Robbins | Tom Tykwer | Martin Landau | Naomi Watts | Mark Pellington | City of Ember | The International