Bill Murray Passes On 'Ghostbusters 3' While Dan Aykroyd Plans To Forge Ahead

In an interview with Metro, Dan Aykroyd ended months of speculation and revealed that Bill Murray will not be involved with Ghostbusters 3.

It's sad, but we're passing it on to a new generation. Ghostbusters 3 can be a successful movie without Bill. My preference would be to have him involved, but at this point he doesn't seem to be coming and we have to move on. It's time to make the third one.

Aykroyd also mentioned that we can expect a new Ghostbusters film to start shooting. And, of course, that the entire reason for this new film is monetary.

Hollywood is remake/reboot crazy right now, so a studio re-launching a film series with a proven track history and fan base is no surprise. Aykroyd plans to use the third film to get a newer, younger cast to carry on the ghost-busting tradition, which means the studio can get the new cast to sign on for multiple sequels and keep future costs down, should one or more become a bankable star.

I suspect Aykroyd, as the franchise creator, will benefit from future sequels. I suspect he will continue collecting royalties as long as the studio makes more sequels. And that extends to Harold Ramis as well, who helped rewrite the script.

This might be part of Murray’s reluctance to revisit the franchise. Though he made the character of Peter Venkman, he didn’t create him, and only landed the role after intended star John Belushi died. Once the new, younger Ghostbusters take over, he won’t earn any income for the franchise (unless he pops in for a cameo appearance).

But that is pure speculation on my part and might not play into his decision. Like fellow comedian Steve Martin, Murray’s current focus is on more serious parts rather than on wacky characters. It’s possible thathe doesn’t want to revisit that period of his career, any more than one should expect Martin to be involved with a sequel to The Jerk.

My problem is that Murray's reasons for not getting involved ring hollow. First, he was rumored to have said, “No one wants to pay money to see fat old men chasing ghosts.” Well, if that’s true, his 2010 appearance at the Scream Awards, decked out like he was looking for a ghost, should have laid that one to rest.

Then he didn’t like the script and sent it through the shredder is another rumor. One can understand this after his (and our) disappointment with Ghostbusters 2. But Murray is in a position to demand any writing team he wants and possibly also his choice of a director. Once you consider how much clout Murray might have, his complaints seem groundless.

If Murray isn’t interested in revisiting the character, that’s fine. But he should just say 'I’m not interested' and wish everyone involved the best, if that is the case. By remaining silent and letting the rumor mill take over, he only gives people something to bitch about on the Internet.

I’m not suggesting the film will be any good, especially without Murray. Aykroyd’s attempt to reboot The Blues Brothers was horrid, even with the involvement of director John Landis, which doesn’t bode well for a Ghostbusters re-launch. But Murray’s disinterest, or lack of comment on the project, is much harsher. If anyone can assure this film lives up to the original, it’s Murray, coming back as Venkman, even if he’s in couple of scenes. Yet he seems content to sit back and lessen the chances of this film succeeding, which is rather disappointing as he owes his career to the fans that have made this franchise a classic worth rebooting.