Warning: Article contains spoilers for a film that won’t be released for at least two years. Read on for a plot development that will almost certainly be given away in the marketing materials.
Sigourney Weaver got the internet in a flap before Christmas when doing the press rounds for “Avatar,” by revealing that, in the upcoming “Ghostbusters III,” Peter Venkman, Bill Murray’s character, would be a ghost. The notoriously grouchy actor has long been the hold out from the original cast returning to the series (well, it’s not like Ernie Hudson has that many other options, to be fair), and is notoriously commitment-shy towards projects, and it sounded like the writers, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (who were behind the incomprehensibly dreadful “Year One,” but are also show-runners on “The Office”), were trying to work out a way to make the experience with Murray as pleasant as possible for all concerned.
Murray has continued to give mixed messages about signing on for the third film; while his “Zombieland” cameo seemed to embrace his classic role, he was expressing doubts about the film as recently as October, telling the London Times that the film was a “Star Trek” style excuse to start the franchise anew, while retaining some sense of continuity. Now, however, the actor’s given his clearest indicator yet that he’ll return for the Ivan Reitman-directed third installment. He’s told the reprehensible, flat-out-racist British tabloid The Mail on Sunday that “I said to them “I’ll do it if you kill me off in the first reel. So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film.”
While he doesn’t flat out say he’s signed on, it certainly seems to indicate that Murray is now happy with the direction that the film’s taking. Plus, you know, there is the payday, for what sounds like a less-than-huge workload. It’s not a terrible idea, turning Venkman into a ghost, and we can see Murray having some fun with it, but we’re going to remain skeptical about this one until we hear the casting for the new generation of Ghostbusters; Tracy Morgan, Joel McHale, Adam Scott and Tina Fey we could get behind, but if it’s Dane Cook, Dax Shepherd, Kenan Thompson and Kristen Wiig, then we’re going to set fire to something. (via Slashfilm)