So much for shooting next summer, a timetable that was recently unveiled. "Ghostbusters 3" has been delayed yet again, and a decision on whether the film will go forward or not won't be reached until March of 2013, which means the earliest the film could shoot is next fall.
Why? Speculation runs rampant that Sony Pictures Entertainment is up for sale. While Sony chief executive Kaz Hirai denied these reports to the Hollywood Reporter, sources tell the trade that the company is reevaluating their business, and therefore several projects that were in the production queue are now back up in the air. All this stands to reason. Sony recently ended a lucrative relationship with Adam Sandler by letting his latest project, a comedy Western called "Ridiculous 6," go to Paramount instead (perhaps that entire idea is just a little too risky for the company at the moment). Even though Sandler's box-office mettle has been waning in recent years, it's a big move for Sony to let Sandler go to another studio (also, note to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" fans: that's probably reason number #234234 the sequel won't be happening).
Likewise, Sony apparently paid "Men In Black 3" screenwriter Etan Cohen a king's ransom to rewrite the "Ghostbusters 3" script that had gone through several hands before including "Bad Teacher" writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. Original director/producer Ivan Reitman recently suggested that "Ghostbusters" should be remade rather than relaunched in the fashion that "Ghosbusters 3" has been envisioned so far — essentially the original cast passing the torch to a new generation — but it's unclear whether Cohen's script is deviating at all from the passing-of-the-baton plan. One thing's for sure. Whatever iteration it takes, Bill Murray won't be in it.
