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Channing Tatum, Russo Brothers to Develop New Male-Driven GHOSTBUSTERS with Ivan Reitman & Dan Aykroyd

As anyone worth their salt knows, the most important qualification for being a Ghostbuster is having a Y chromosome and/or a wiener. Though the busting of ghosts can be accomplished without said implements, as evidenced by Paul Feig’s forthcoming Ghostbusters film starring a cavalcade of hilarious ladies, purists will tell you that ghostbusting is a boys’ club. Naturally, Sony recognizes this and is tapping into their inner men’s rights advocate by developing a new, “male-driven action-centric comedy” in the Ghostbusters universe. Once more, all is right in the world. There is no Dana, only Zuul.

All snarkiness aside, Deadline reports that Sony is planning on expanding the Ghostbusters universe and their first order of business is a male-driven supernatural comedy. In order to develop the film, the studio has established Ghost Corps, a new production shingle including Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd, as well as Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who just signed a first-look deal with the studio. Iron Man 3 and Mission Impossible 5 writer Drew Pearce is attached to write the script, and Channing Tatum, along with partners Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan, will produce. Speaking of Tatum, the studio is hoping that he will also star in the film as one of the Ghostbusters, so they can parlay his success in 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike to buoy the new franchise entry.

Though the film is still in very early stages, it is intended to complement the Paul Feig-directed Ghostbusters film, which stars Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. Evidently, this film has long been in the works, according to Reitman. “We want to expand the Ghostbusters universe in ways that will include different films, TV shows, merchandise, all things that are part of modern filmed entertainment,” he said to Deadline. “This is a branded entertainment, a scary supernatural premise mixed with comedy. Paul Feig’s film will be the first version of that, shooting in June to come out in July, 2016. He’s got four of the funniest women in the world, and there will be other surprises to come. The second film has a wonderful idea that builds on that. Drew will start writing and the hope is to be ready for the Russo Brothers’ next window next summer to shoot, with the movie coming out the following hear. It’s just the beginning of what I hope will be a lot of wonderful movies.”

It looks like Dan Aykroyd’s talk about a shared Ghostbusters universe wasn’t so crazy after all! With Spider-Man’s recent induction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it makes sense that Sony would continue looking for opportunities to expand its intellectual properties into full-fledged franchises. Now, it seems, all we can do is brace ourselves for the inevitable flood of Ghostbusters fantasy castings. For what it’s worth, my suggestion is Channing Tatum, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, and Guy Fieri. Why Guy Fieri? Why not. In the meantime, I’ll be grippin’ and sippin’ on some expired Ecto Cooler.

hi-c-ecto-cooler-drink

Let me know your thoughts about the ever-expanding Ghostbusters franchise in the comments below, and don’t miss Jessica’s thoughts on the potential of a Ghostbusters Cinematic Universe on a recent episode of Nerdist News:

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Comments

  1. Blinker says:

    This is the most horrible idea ever.  I feel as though i need a rape kit to convict Sony for sodomizing my youth.

  2. Sleepingsparklegirl says:

    It could work if chatum was paired up with jonah hill and have a women be the third ghost buster, I was thinking gabriel union would be great in the role.

  3. A Nerdnick says:

    Since the passing of Harold Ramis, the ONLY person who has any right to do a remake or (better) a sequel, is Dan Aykroyd.  Anything else is just Hollywood ripping off someone else’s work.  Better known as business as usual.

  4. Yahoo says:

    Does anyone remember the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon from the 90s. Instead of doing one or the other mix it up. That cartoon had a chick, a latino, a black and a white cripple. Covers all your groups right there then every one gets fun.

  5. wac0 says:

    I don’t mind female ghost busters, I just don’t understand the fascination with all-x casts. Diversity is the spice of life and if you can’t write a skit without every punch line being “it’s funny because they’re women” it won’t be a good movie and it will be a major disappointment. Same with all-male casts. Write stories with people as characters, not tropified sexist garbage as characters.

  6. thestalkinghead says:

    i think they should have just done a half male half female version to start with, having an all female cast doesn’t make it more equal, it just makes it just as unequal as the first ones 

  7. tres says:

    overkill to the fullest. the last thing we need is another dick flick shoved down our throats. at least it was refreshing with the ladies at the helm. hm, maybe they can turn this male-driven version into gay-male-driven. that’d be a lot more interesting.

  8. ericmci says:

    Wait I am confused.   We are supposed to be excited by an all female cast and be open to new interpretations but Nerdist is appalled at an all male cast remake.  How about don’t remake the fu*king movie in the first place.  Let is stand as the comedy classic it is.  Or if you’re going to risk expanding it What difference does it make if there is a female group And a male group.  What happened to the love and support for all the “talented people’ behind the female remake that doesn’t extend to the talented people behind  the male version?In all likelihood neither of these movies should be made but you can’t put all logic aside and support and cheer for one citing all the reason to approve of it and then toss that all out the window and chide the new one.It shits all over the idea that this ‘universe’ could and should be expanded.  (which it shouldn’t)And by the way diversity includes everyone whether you have ‘wiener’ or a kitty – elegantly put by the way

  9. Jimmy Espo says:

    It wouldn’t be right if they don’t use the same firehouse in TriBeCa 

  10. Fin says:

    I too fully support the idea of women being cast in any role where they would be qualified. My complaint has nothing to do with their gender. It’s just that female ghostbusters don’t make sense. I mean, how many women even go to school for that, much less graduate? Can women even SEE ghosts, what with all their hormones fouling things up?

    It’s bad enough tv and movies keep trying to convince us women can be doctors and soldiers, now they want us to think they have the mental and physical ability to properly handle a neutrino wand without crossing the streams?! Garbage.

  11. James Cruise says:

    Supreme Court will weigh in soon and male and female Ghostbusters can serve together. Support ‪#‎ParanormalInvestigationEliminationIntegration‬

  12. Ben Carr says:

    Wow we can get two peices of shit for the price of one beloved film? Can someone banish this schlock back to it place of origin or the nearest convenient parallel dimension?  

  13. arron25 says:

    Wow!  Two shitty movies for the price of destroying one classic.  What a bargain for the greedy studios.  

  14. arron25 says:

    Wow! Two shitty movies for the price of one classic.  Talk about overkill.  

  15. Joe says:

    I don’t really care. I think the original Ghostbusters still holds up as a good movie. (Even though it does scream “this is the 80s”) I’m just sick of the whole “capitalizing on our nostalgia” thing. Transformers, Ninja Turtles, Robocop… just stop it, already.

  16. Ryan says:

    It should be, Steve Carell, Johan Hill, Seith Rogan and Paul Rudd as it was set up to be back in 2007, before Bill Murray turned it down, (where the rest of the orginal cast was already in) would of/still be really funny, minus Channing.

  17. A Nerdnick says:

    Utter Bullshit. Face it. most people hate the vast majority of reboots that get made. They are overwhelmingly inferior, if not outright insultingly bad, when compared to the originals.
    Most of the complaints about this new Ghost-busters film that I’ve seen have been because it’s a re-boot of a beloved classic comedy that’s charm and appeal was driven by the creative team, the actors and writers, who made it and starred in it.  Those guys (yes, guys, deal with it) were the heart and soul of that movie. 

    Like I’ve said before.  You might as well try to remake The Marx Brothers movies without the Marx Brothers.

    • A Nerdnick says:

      I have to admit though that I’m confused.  Will there be 2 alternate Ghostbusters?  A male and a female set of the same characters?  if so, that’s even dumber than a reboot.
      Why must it be so convoluted?!  Just make a sequel to the original movies with brand new characters (Ghostbusters TNG) and if possible, include as many of the original team as possible.
       

  18. Bloodshot says:

    Forcing this all female horse s4!t on us will only have the effect of alienating people for both movies.  I know I won’t watch either because of it.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I have no issue with women doing any job if they are qualified.  But a whole team made entirely of women doing a job like this just ruins the credibility.  It’s almost as bad as Charlie’s Angels.  Yeah yeah it’s sci-fi and it’s fantasy.  But come on, not even Star Trek tried to pull this kind of crap on us.

  19. water says:

    they should try an all black cast for this, ving rhames, chirs rock, tracy morgan, maybe eddie murphy if he wants it or some up and comer.  no kevin hart.  the neighbor goes bad and someone buys the build to put a homeless shelter and a couple of these guys find the stuff in the basement.  proton pack, containment unit and photos of the old gang. 

    • snmidnight says:

      I would watch that if you replaced Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, and Eddie Murphy with someone with talent. 

    • J says:

      This isn’t Madea busts ghosts…not everything has to be turned into an all black remake. Mix it up, whatever, they just need to get the formula of comedic talent and writing correct and proper nods to the originals for this to work. I just hope we don’t get flooded with a bunch of B level Hollywood garbage trying to ride the Ghostbuster wave to dollars and notoriety…

  20. Nate says:

    I know Channing Tatum has comedic chops, but one of the things that made Ghostbusters so appealing to the nerds of the ’80s was the fact that the stars were NOT giant, hunky action heroes like Stallone or Schwarzenegger.  Casting a muscular hearththrob like Tatum seems like much more of a mis-match to the original source material than casting four women known more for their humor than their hot bods.

    • crorvents says:

      no, the mis-match was ever considering an all-female cast, or any female really. the ghostbusters work when they’re funny dudes, and women aren’t funny. or interesting. unless they’re hot and naked. hopefully the paul feig one gets cancelled and then we have this ghostbusters film instead. an actual honest-to-goodness ghostbusters film we can be proud of.

  21. Andrew says:

    Tatum, Terry Crews, Vince Vaughn, and Kevin Hart

    • peltnick says:

      tatum wants to do this with chris pratt. so, how about tatum, pratt, crews, and hart? or you can have a five person ghostbusters team and add vince vaughn to it? that would be good too.

  22. Dave says:

    I loved GB as a kid. I still love it as an adult. Wanna know a secret? If that semi-perfect mix of supernatural thrill and comedy are there; I WANT MORE! I don’t care if you pee standing up or sitting down! Just give me goosebumps and make me laugh. Being entertained is all anyone should care about. 

  23. Janipurr says:

    Because we don’t already have enough male driven comedies, a female led Ghostbusters movie just cannot stand. SMH. What, has nobody in Hollywood emotionally aged past 14?

    • sboyajian says:

      I have no problem with a female led film.. I think it’s a great idea, I just hate the idea of shoehorning these ladies into a pre-existing franchise just to do it. 
      Get creative for a change Hollywood and give these women their own franchise. Create something new and inventive and let them be the ones to cast shadows, rather than launch this remake throwing them under the shadows of 4 remarkable comedic figures. I’m thoroughly done with remakes and nostalgic money grabs.

    • quorby says:

      no, hollywood is just coming to its senses. it’s realizing that an all-female ghostbusters, or “girlbusters,” basically, would be a financial catastrophe. and so they’re making a smart move by going with a male-driven ghostbusters film that will have great directors, writers, and cast members. a real, true ghostbusters film that will actually make good money, as opposed to paul feig’s guaranteed bomb.

  24. connerjr says:

    While I’ll never complain about more Ghostbusters, I think the more pressing concern is WHEN ARE WE GETTING ECTO COOLER BACK?!?!?!
    I’d seriously kill to taste that bit of nostalgia, not matter how horrible I’m sure it probably is in reality. 

  25. TheNoYes says:

    I am ok with Tatum, but I also think Jon Hamm would be perfect for this movie franchise#

    • Chris says:

      We need Tina Fey and Amy Poehler alongside Tatum and Andy Samburg. Drop in Terry Crews because the dude is deceptively funny and could powerslam StayPuft!

  26. kleeps says:

    if sony were smart, they’d cancel paul feig’s abomination of a ghostbusters film and just go with the one the russos are doing. get that all-female nonsense out of here.

  27. Richard says:

    Honestly, I doubt I’d want to watch either movie.
    GB2 was terrible.  A woman’s remake would also be
    gratuitous.  The see , we are not sexist because we made a movie with women totally misses the point of making a movie with the best people, regardless of gender.

    I’m guessing they will throw in a “handicapable” as well as a number of LGBT types to fully flush things out to prove just how “evolved” they are.

    Now give me a quality script along the levels
    of bridesmaids and we can talk.  That said, I just don’t see Melissa McCarthy working for this.  Likely they will just do fat girl jokes with her or something as equally stupid like that Tammy movie.

  28. clorin12 says:

    So Disney has the MCU, Warner Bros has DCU and Sony has GCU.  Awesome

  29. Ad Nauseum says:

    How about instead of Guy Fieri, Clark Duke steps in? Clark Duke would be a great addition to a Ghostbusters-type of team.

  30. james says:

    i think the only way any of this works if there are some end credit scenes with Bill Murray recruiting various members of each team for an “ulitimate Ghostbusters” movie ala nick cage.

  31. Itsap Neng says:

    All is right in the world.