With
Ivan Reitman's twenty-something sex comedy
No Strings Attached opening in the U.S. on January 21st, the veteran
Ghostbusters helmer is inevitably going to find himself coming under heavily artillery from journalists firing off questions about the proposed third film in the series. First to the punch is
Coming Soon, where Reitman reveals that he has only just sent The Office writers Gene Stupnitsky
and Lee Eisenberg's script to star
Bill Murray;
"We have a really good script, but Bill (Murray) has to read it. He hasn't read it. There has been all kinds of chatter online about him reading it and not liking it. He has not read a thing. He's never read anything. And I just sent it to him. So we'll see. God knows how long that will take. But we'll see."
Reitman goes on to say that "there is almost nothing that is accurate online about that film", but I think it's pretty clear that
Ghostbusters 3 was a go earlier this year (if we were reporting false stories, it's because the cast said as much)
until Sony got cold feet on both the script and a worry that Reitman, 64, was no longer hip enough to make a blockbuster tentpole that could attract people three quarters his own age. This idea is of course without good reason. Hell he did make
My Super Ex-Girlfriend a few years ago - but both of these problems could be rectified; 1) By a better draft, hopefully the one Murray now has on his coffee table if he cares to read it. And 2) By a strong opening for No Strings Attached, which should be buoyed by
Natalie Portman's huge Oscar buzz. I'm certain more will be revealed in more interviews shortly...