Last Friday and headed into the weekend, there was a flurry of activity around Marvel‘s “Ant-Man,” with the end result being that Adam McKay dropped out of talks, with Ruben Fleischer and Rawson Thurber emerging as the contenders for the gig, with the latter seen as the frontrunner. Why? For a couple of reasons, but one that includes Fleischer in the mix for another brewing tentpole.
According to The Wrap, the “Zombieland” and “Gangster Squad” director is “being considered” to direct “Ghostbusters 3.” The long, long brewing project has been through numerous bumps in the road, including Bill Murray wanting pretty much nothing to do with it, Harold Ramis passing away, Ivan Reitman opting not direct, and Phil Lord and Chris Miller flirting with and ultimately turning down the sequel. Fleischer is a recently new father so “Ant-Man” might be coming too quick around the corner for him to take it on, but with “Ghostbusters 3” aiming for an early 2015 shoot (and fingers crossed, considering how long development has been going on), it could be just the right gig for the director, and certainly one to help him lick his wounds after two flops in a row with “30 Minutes Or Less” and “Gangster Squad.”
That said, like “Ant-Man,” there are probably more names in the mix we have yet to find out about so don’t get hung up on Fleischer helming “Ghostbusters 3” just yet. But if he gets the job, can he rekindle his “Zombieland” friendship with Murray and lure him back into the fold?
