Bill Murray Reveals Reason Behind Joining ‘Ghostbusters’


For years, Bill Murray was the last hold out when discussions of the third film made the rounds. Then, a few months ago, we heard that Murray was going to make a cameo in the Paul Feig-directed reboot. While much has been said about the all-female cast, many seem pleased that one of the original Ghostbusters will appear in the film.

When the news hit of Murray’s inclusion, many noted that he was more than reluctant to have any part in the upcoming Ghostbusters film. That was in the early development of the film before names like Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Kate McKinnon were attached to the project.

As many know, Murray originated the role of Dr. Peter Venkman in the 1984 classic and later reprised his role in the lackluster 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II. Many believed that it was Murray’s hold out that shelved the project for years and stopped Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis from getting the third installment off of the ground.

Of his decision, Murray told Vulture months ago, “I thought about it for a very long time. Like, many, many months. No, that’s not right. I was seriously thinking about this for years, really… It kept eating at me, and I really respect those girls. And then I started to feel like if I didn’t do this movie, maybe somebody would write a bad review or something, thinking there was some sort of disapproval (on my part).”

Recently, Murray shared these same sentiments during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, with the rest of the cast, including the original surviving ghostbusters.

“It was only because I knew these girls were funny,” the actor explained.

He continued, “When you see the film—and you’ll delight in the film…it sort of rumbles along in the beginning. You’re going, ‘Oh, God, are they going to pull this thing off? There is no quit in these girls.”

“This is a tough movie to pull off because it’s a big concept. There’s a lot on the plate. There’s a lot of expectation. Danny [Aykroyd] and I and Annie [Potts] and Ernie [Hudson] were just screaming, cheering like we were at a sporting event at the end of it.”

This is a huge change in thought when, in a 2011 interview with David Letterman, he said that the idea of a third film would be a “nightmare.”

As for Murray’s cameo, not much has been said about what kind of cameo the comedian would have in the upcoming reboot, but we did learn that there would not be a scene where the old ghostbusters would pass the baton to the new ghostbusters.

Bill Murray’s comments about the ladies of the new Ghostbusters film is refreshing, especially after the huge backlash everyone has received due to the all-female cast and the subsequent trailer that was released.

Do you think the new Ghostbusters reboot will surprise naysayers?

[Photo by Columbia Pictures]

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