On Tuesday, director Paul Feig revealed the new cast for his Ghostbusters reboot with the following tweet.
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) January 27, 2015
So we now know who’s starring in the film, but what can we expect from the story? Who are Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones playing. Are they just new versions of the characters Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson played in the original two Ghostbusters films?
According to HitFix’s Drew McWeeny, that won’t be the case. The new foursome will not be female incarnations of familiar characters Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddmore. Instead, the actors will be playing four entirely new roles.
McWeeny’s original article had more story and character details, but Sony apparently asked to have those taken down. (You can read most of those details reposted at CinemaBlend, if you prefer.) However, some good information still remains.
In other news, #Ghostbusters will be hitting theaters July 22, 2016. Save the date! — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) January 28, 2015
Wiig is likely to play Erin, a Columbia University professor who co-authored a book on paranormal activity. Jones is set for the role of Abby, Erin’s former colleague who wrote that book with her. McKinnon would be Jillian, with whom Abby continues the research that Erin abandoned. McCarthy is believed to be Patty, a MTA subway employee who encounters the main ghost of the film.
Which actor is playing which role is not confirmed, but McWeeny is making educated guesses based on the script — which McWeeny says awkwardly attempts to meld elements from the previous films with new material — and the sources he’s spoken with.
The studio apparently also wants Peter Dinklage to play the story’s villain and has a flashy hire in mind for the supernatural debunker who tries to discredit the Ghostbusters. (McWeeny took the name out of his article, but the CinemaBlend piece still has it. He would likely be a very popular choice with fans, and would provide a nod to the previous films.)
[HitFix]
