Somebody blows their nose and you want to keep it..?

The film I have viewed the most is Ghostbusters, without a shadow of doubt. I love it. I can quote it (to the annoyance of other viewers), I revel in its trivia, I collect it’s memorabilia and I’ve got a dog size proton pack and little overalls with COSMO on the pocket – the whole shooting match.

Consequently the prospect of a third film has always interested and worried me. GB2 was okay, slightly duff story but still good fun; I was young enough to not notice its flaws. But GB3? Now? Nearly 20 years later?

Script development and studio rumors have been flying around for years and the announcement last November that Sierra will be releasing Ghostbusters: The Video Game just stoked the fire. Dan Ackroyd had allegedly penned a script back in ‘99 where the Ghostbusters go to Hell. Jumping between dimensions using an “inter-dimensional phase system”, and they discover an alternate NYC. “There’s Manhattan and ManHELLton…a netherworld full of phenomenal visual environments and boiling pits" In 2005 co-writer Harold Ramis had been backing the idea including the casting of a new Ghostbuster played by Ben Stiller, and the return of Dan Ackroyd and Rick Moranis.

Sounds bonkers, but even crazier there were rumours of doing it as a GCI film. Dan Ackroyd revealed why back in 2007 to CISN fm: “Billy [Murray] won’t come on to the live action but he will voice his part, as a CGI animated project… And the difficulty of shooting an alternative hellish New York: “…with CGI, and animation, the way these cartoons are done, we can do everything I wrote in that script for a lot less money…”

I’m still undecided; the script idea sounds too far fetched (I’ve yet to find a copy) the real world of NYC worked so well with in the original film, contrasting with the supernatural underworld. I think best left alone; it’s been too long. Audience tastes are different, film making styles have altered and technologies have advanced. A live action, effects led project would be soulless and as we’ve recently seen with Indy, leaving a 20 year gap between sequels doesn’t seem to work.
Although Aykroyd's original idea for Ghostbusters was set in the future, where an army of Ghostbusters fought hordes of ghosts! So who can say.

I think we should count the Video Game as the third film – it is set to have all the voices of the original cast including William Atherton as Walter ‘Dickless’ Peck. Quite excited about that.

It was paraded at the New York licensing show this month with a giant inflatable Staypuft Marshmallow Man. I want one. There were also pictures of promotional material advertising a remake of Robocop. Stay tuned for a rant as to why this is the worst idea since they released the rehash of Get Carter with Sly Stallone.
Check here for a comprehensive rundown of development hell from as far back as '93.
Also check out some fan made material. Interesting crossover.

Bark...