I've talked about Ghostbusters 3an awful lot over the last 12 months haven't I? I just can't help it. I feel like it's one of my babies, the franchise is something that is so personal to me, it reminds me of when they first started talking about rebooting the Batman franchise. If they can just get some key elements right, they will have a massive hit on their hands which will bring the fun time back into cinema going. I like where American comedy has been heading over the last few years. I love what Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith, and the actors they routinely use have brought to the genre. And I love the subjects they have tackled (middle aged virgins, druggies, sociopath mall cops, broke roomates who fuck just to get by). There's a deep seeded maturity about the comedy that we are seeing and long may it continue, with Ghostbusters 3 at the forefront of this. I'm going to go out a little on a lim here and predict that in two years time, the comic book craze that has hit the U.K. and hit fashion shops will be taken over by Ghostbusters. Anyway, so I think I'm seeing a Blu-Ray presentation of Ghostbusters next week down in the Capital, which is actually the first thing I've ever been offered at OWF that I have decided to take it upon myself to attend (except for a screening of Hancock last year and well, I became very close in accepting the offer to see Drag Me To Hell last month). Which is pretty damn cool. But I thought it would be nice to ponder a few possibilities on just what I wanna see from the new Ghostbusters series, specifically who I think should be given the task of directing this flick. This series has the luxury of having lots of tie-in names due to the various people who have worked on the series over the years, or worked with the peope involved, so there's lots of potential names right here.
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No. 1 - JUDD APATOW
Apatow has firmly been my first choice to direct this project ever since I first heard rumblings of a new Ghostbusters film. He really is the new Ivan Reitman/John Hughes for this age. I love how he blends "the sweet and the sour" in his movies. His three flicks to date, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up (and haven't ya seen the trailers for Funny People guys?) have shown a superb storyteller who knows how to tell a story visually and his films are ALL about character. Character is what has helped those original Ghostbusters films become the classics they are today. In Seth Rogen he has his own Bill Murray. The amount of actors that appear in his universe that would fit so well with this series (Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Steve Carrel, Tina Fey, Craig Robinson, Romany Malco, Adam Sandler) is almost mind-blowing. I believe he is on board as a producer and unofficial script supervisor for the U.S. Office scribes and Harold Ramis.
No. 2 - SAM RAIMI
Ok, now think about it for a second. The Evil Dead series is just about the only one which can rival Ghostbusters in mixing the right blend of screams, fun, comedy, and just absolute absurdness. From OWF's Martyn Conterio who has seen Rami's latest movie Drag Me To Hell, he has told me how awesome it is, along with the universal praise it's gotten from the majority of my blogging peers, Raimi is back to his best. His new movie is said to show a fire and passion in Raimi that has been locked away for a little while now. We know he can tackle Hollywood's biggest productions and can you imagine if he got Bruce Campbell to play a zombie, and Ghostbusters 3 was like a weird Romero movie? I would pay to see that. Bill Murray as a zombie would be fun too.
No. 3 - JASON REITMAN
Jason is the son of the original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman but has already proved himself with his Oscar nominated Juno in 2007. Juno showed a director completely in touch with modern sensibilities and a young director with a real head for his work. Thank You For Smoking is the other movie on his CV, a brilliant satirical comedy. The connection to Ghostbusters, well you know he grew up with these characters and probably has seen those original movies more times than we have, he will know them inside out. And with the new Ghostbusters movie being a passing of the torch for the veteran crew to a new generation, what better way than having Ivan Reitman producing his son Jason into a new generation of Ghostbusters directors?
4 - MICHEL GONDRY
Gondry is a big Ghostbusters fan, his Be Kind Rewind oozed with references, some subtle, some mega obvious to the busting 80's franchise. Gondry is a wacky storyteller and his unique personal vision would bring a fresh look to an old franchise. He is already working with Seth Rogen, hand picked by the actor no less to make The Green Hornet, another action/comedy franchise where he will learn his action sequence chops. Who wouldn't be interested as hell to see what he would do with a Ghostbusters movie?
No. 5 - DAVID GORDON GREEN
A wonderfully talented director and his Pineapple Express showed a helmer who was able to mix comedy and violence in a mainstream friendly way. Well almost, the violence would probably need to be knocked down two notches for a PG-13 Ghostbusters, quite a few notches in fact. But Gordon Green has got great visual chops, he can stage scenes with mood and atmosphere as good as anyone. If he is a Ghostbusters fan, he would rule with this.
No. 6 - IVAN REITMAN
Who better than to go back to the guy who started it all? Reitman was one of the top comedy directors of the 1980's and was part of the Ramis/Ackroyd/Murray group that gave us Stripes, Meatballs, the two Ghostbusters sequels and Twins. Still directing today and he is already on board as producer for this flick, though he does seem to have lost something of his previous passion. His last few try outs My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Evolution looked to have been made by a tired old director. The original Ghostbusters group would no doubt be delighted to work with him again, and the sense of "getting the old gang back together" would revitialise Murray, Ramis, Ackroyd and the gang. And hopefully Reitman's own passion.
No. 7 - JODY HILL
Again, another cutting edge young director who's Foot Fist Way and Observe & Report once again blended the darkness with hilarious comedy. Tons of style and a guy hungry for success who knows his film history. I would love to see him given a chance here.
No. 8 - HAROLD RAMIS
One of the stars of the original Ghostbusters group (he played Egon) and a great comedy director in his own right with films like Groundhog Day and Caddyshack on his CV. He would be trusted by his fellow Ghostbusters alumni, he would have the time seen as though his acting gig in the new movie will only be small, and well he has been one of the driving forces in getting a new movie off the ground for the last 15 years. His most recent movie, The Year One written by the Office writers and starring Jack Black and Michael Cera will go along way to showing whether Ramis still has a relevant voice in comedy. But he has so many close connections here, I'm surprised more people aren't talking about him as the expected director of this movie. He wouldn't be my first choice (by these standards, he is my 8th) but I think he would do a wonderful job if it was given to him. And that's your lot, I think there's a healthy bunch to choose from right there. What other franchise could you so easily pluck out 8 tops names such as those and be happy with each one you picked as being a potential director? Not for Bond or Batman I dare say. I would be delighted if any of those above got the job and if the top 2 names won the gig, well I would be on cloud fucking nine. Any suggestions on anyone I missed out, any thoughts on my picks. Do talkback below...