Ghostbusters (2016 film)
Ghostbusters[1] | |
---|---|
Directed by | Paul Feig |
Written by |
|
Based on | |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Robert Yeoman |
Edited by |
|
Music by | Theodore Shapiro |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 116 minutes[3] |
Country | United States[4] |
Language | English |
Budget | $144 million[5] |
Box office | $229 million[5] |
Ghostbusters (also marketed as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call)[1] is a 2016 American supernatural comedy film directed by Paul Feig, who co-wrote it with Katie Dippold. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth, it is a reboot of the 1984 film of the same name and the third film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The story focuses on four eccentric women who start a ghost-catching business in New York City after a paranormal encounter.
A third Ghostbusters film had been in various stages of development following the release of Ghostbusters II in 1989. Because of original cast member Bill Murray's refusal to commit to the project, and the death of fellow cast member Harold Ramis in 2014,[6] Sony Pictures decided to reboot the series instead. Some of the original film's cast members and their family members make cameo appearances in new roles, and Ramis is commemorated in the film's closing credits. The announcement of the female-led cast in 2015 drew a polarized response from the public and an internet backlash,[7] leading to the film's IMDb page and associated YouTube videos receiving low ratings before the film's release.[8][9]
Ghostbusters premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9, 2016, and was released in the United States on July 15, by Sony Pictures Releasing.[10] The film grossed $229 million worldwide against a $144 million production budget, making it a box-office bomb with losses for the studio of over $70 million. Sony abandoned plans for a sequel,[11] opting instead to continue the original film canon with Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).
Plot
[edit]Particle physicists and estranged friends Abby Yates and Erin Gilbert co-authored Ghosts from Our Past, a book detailing their paranormal investigations since high school. Erin later disavowed the work, while Abby continues her research at the Kenneth P. Higgins Institute of Science in New York City, with engineering physicist Jillian "Holtz" Holtzmann as her partner. Now a professor at Columbia University and in line for tenure, Erin, discovering that Abby republished their book, convinces her to cease its publication if she helps Abby and Holtz investigate an alleged haunted house, the Aldridge Mansion. They encounter the malevolent ghost of the late Gertrude Aldridge before she escapes, restoring Erin's belief in the supernatural and friendship with Abby. Erin loses her bid for tenure at Columbia after their vlog becomes viral. Erin offers to join Abby and Holtz, but Thomas Shanks, the dean of the Higgins Institute, fires them too. After stealing equipment, they establish temporary headquarters above Zhu's Authentic Hong Kong Food. They verbosely name themselves "Conductors of the Metaphysical Examination", build trappings and hire jock Kevin Beckman as a receptionist.
MTA staffer Patty Tolan encounters a ghost in a subway terminal built under a haunted prison in Auburn and contacts the team. They find the ghost and test Holtz's prototype for the proton packs on the entity but fail to capture it. They advertise their services with a "no ghosts allowed" logo that Holtz used based on a graffiti artist's defacement, and the name pundits have labeled them—"Ghostbusters". Patty joins the team, providing expertise of New York City, personal protective equipment, and a repurposed hearse from her mortician uncle Bill Jenkins, named "Ecto-1".
Mad scientist and occultist Rowan North has triggered the supernatural events by attracting ghosts over Manhattan with self-developed ionizers that correspond to the Ghostbusters' technology, allowing him to experiment and create a dimensional vortex powered by turned PSI energy. When Rowan plants another device at a concert, the Ghostbusters are called and capture a gargoyle-like spirit there, becoming city sensations but antagonizing him. When debunker Dr. Martin Heiss challenges the quartet, Erin releases the ghost as proof; it throws him out of a window and escapes.
The group is brought to Mayor Bradley and his deputy Jennifer Lynch, who reveal that they and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) know of the city's supernatural activities. While privately acknowledging the team's work, they publicly denounce them as fraudsters. The quartet realize Rowan is planting his devices along ley lines, with their alignments intersecting at the Mercado Hotel in Times Square, a site of violent occurrences where Rowan's vortex will breach a ghostly dimension, potentially triggering an apocalypse. When they confront him in his boiler room laboratory, Abby warns him of imprisonment, but unwilling to turn himself in, Rowan electrocutes himself with his main machine. After deactivating it, Holtz finds an annotated copy of Ghosts from Our Past, explaining the similarity between their technologies. Erin later discovers that Rowan planned his suicide to become a ghost himself.
Rowan returns as a deity-like ghost and attempts to kill the Ghostbusters at their headquarters by possessing Abby, but Patty stops him. He then possesses Kevin and escapes to the hotel, opening the portal and releasing galvanized ghosts. Rowan subdues the authorities, but the Ghostbusters fight through his army to reach the portal. After leaving Kevin, Rowan asks the quartet what form they would like him to appear as. When Patty suggests a ghost, Rowan appears as the ghost in the Ghostbusters' logo, grows to a kaiju-like size, and goes on a rampage. The team uses Ecto-1's reactor as a makeshift bomb, detonating a nuclear explosion inside the vortex. This reverses the portal and forces Rowan and the ghosts back in, restoring the city. Rowan tries to drag Abby with him in retaliation, but Erin leaps into the portal and rescues her.
Despite the city's fascination with the supernatural and lauding the Ghostbusters as heroes, the mayor's office continues to denounce them publicly but covertly funds their operations. With added resources, the Ghostbusters move to a disused firehouse, where they build more equipment, including an ecto-containment system. While investigating electronic voice phenomenon (EVP), Patty hears the word "Zuul".
Cast
[edit]This section possibly contains original research. (June 2021) |
- Kristen Wiig as Dr. Erin Gilbert
- Melissa McCarthy as Dr. Abigail L. "Abby" Yates
- Leslie Jones as Patricia "Patty" Tolan
- Kate McKinnon as Dr. Jillian "Holtz" Holtzmann
- Chris Hemsworth as Kevin Beckman
- Neil Casey as Dr. Rowan North
- Andy García as Mayor Marth Bradley
- Cecily Strong as Jennifer Lynch
- Michael K. Williams as Agent Cody Hawkins
- Matt Walsh as Agent Henry Rourke
- Charles Dance as Dr. Harold Filmore
- Ed Begley Jr. as Ed Mulgrave Jr.
Original Ghostbusters cast members appear in the film:
- Bill Murray as paranormal-debunker Dr. Martin Heiss
- Dan Aykroyd as a taxi driver who is oddly well-versed with the parapsychology, much like the Ghostbusters. Aykroyd also contributed as an executive producer.
- Ernie Hudson as Patty's uncle, Bill Jenkins, who works as a mortician
- Sigourney Weaver as Holtzmann's mentor, Dr. Rebecca Gorin
- Annie Potts as hotel-receptionist Vanessa
Co-producer Ivan Reitman, director of the first two films, has a cameo appearance as a passerby, while original cast member Harold Ramis' son Daniel cameos as a metalhead. Ramis' likeness is used on a bust outside Gilbert's office.
Karan Soni, Bess Rous, Eugene Cordero, and Milana Vayntrub, who co-starred with Casey on director Paul Feig's television series Other Space (2015), portray deliveryman Benny, the ghost of Gertrude Aldridge, a bass guitarist, and a woman attacked by rat ghosts, respectively. Brian Baumgartner, Justin Kirk, and Elizabeth Perkins have cameo appearances in the extended cut as hotel guest Frank the Mercado, city official Phil Hudson, and university professor Phyllis Adler respectively.
Also appearing as ghosts are Dave Allen as the electrocuted ghost, Steve Bannos as the flasher ghost, Robin Shelby as the voice of Lady Slimer, and Adam Ray as the voice of Slimer, who also portrays the lead singer of a band. Saturday Night Live writer and producer Steve Higgins plays Thomas Shanks, while his son John plays the Baba Booey Shouter. Michael McDonald plays Jonathan, Zach Woods plays Garett, Nate Corddry plays Leif, Toby Huss plays Officer Stevenson, Katie Dippold plays a rental agent, Sam Richardson plays a police officer, and Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo play waitresses. Ozzy Osbourne, Al Roker, Pat Kiernan, Greg Kelly, Rosanna Scotto, and Chris Gethard portray themselves.
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]A third Ghostbusters film had been in various stages of development following the release of Ghostbusters II in 1989.[12][13] Bill Murray, who played Ghostbuster Peter Venkman in the original films, was reluctant to participate. He felt Ghostbusters II was lackluster and was critical of the new scripts he had read.[14] Murray later clarified that his reluctance was due in part to his relationship with Columbia Pictures and Sony, rather than any of his co-stars from the first two films.[15] Dan Aykroyd, who co-starred in and co-wrote the original films, said the studio was aware that "without Murray there may be nothing there" for a sequel, and was considering a way to introduce a new generation of Ghostbusters.[14]
One script, Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent, written by Aykroyd in 1999, had Venkman leaving the Ghostbusters to spend time with Sigourney Weaver's character Dana Barrett; the remaining Ghostbusters, including a new younger member, fought souls evicted from a hellish version of Manhattan known as Manhelltan.[16] The Hellbent script was revised as Ghostbusters in Hell, with plans to replace Murray with Ben Stiller. The story had the Ghostbusters finding a portal to an alternate dimension where "all the worst things about modern urban life" are "magnified"; traffic is stuck in perpetual gridlock, and nobody speaks the same language.[17] Another story idea had Venkman transformed into a ghost.[12]
While the third film remained in development, Terminal Reality developed Ghostbusters: The Video Game and released it in 2009. Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, cowriters of the original films, used the game to explore the Ghostbusters' history. The four original actors, including Murray, voiced their characters, along with other actors from the original films. Aykroyd considered the game "essentially the third movie".[18] The game sold over a million units, prompting Columbia Pictures to move forward with the Ghostbusters franchise. Ramis said the new film would feature the original Ghostbusters but introduce new characters in a script written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, co-writers of his 2009 comedy Year One. The film was to be filmed in 2010 and released in 2011.[19][20]
Around March 2010, while the new script was being developed, Vulture reported Columbia wanted to target a younger audience and that original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman was under pressure to step down in place of a younger director. Reitman, along with Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis, had long-standing contracts in place with Columbia that effectively allowed any of them to veto the development of a Ghostbusters film.[21] Murray told GQ that he felt the script written by Eisenberg and Stupnitsky was poor and "that dream just vaporized", but said that Columbia was pressuring him to make it.[22] Aykroyd defended the script, saying it offered Murray "the comic role of a lifetime".[23] In January 2012, Aykroyd revealed that the film was in "suspended animation" as Murray was still uncooperative. Aykroyd refused to recast the role as he would not make a film that "exploits the franchise".[24] By July, the Eisenberg and Stupnitsky script had been discarded and new writers were working on a script.[25]
Murray's reluctance to commit to the project resulted in the decision to reboot the franchise instead.[12][26] In September, Reitman suggested a remake of the original Ghostbusters, which would allow them to introduce a new cast.[27] Reitman was working on a Ghostbusters reboot that would be written by Reitman, Etan Cohen, and Aykroyd and filmed in 2013.[28][29][30] Following Ramis's death in February 2014, Reitman left the director's role to focus on smaller projects, but remained a producer to help Columbia and Sony find a new director.[31] At this point, the script featured the original Ghostbusters in minor roles.[29]
Pre-production
[edit]In August 2014, Paul Feig was selected as director, with the plans featuring an all-female cast in the reboot.[32][33] Feig announced the film and his involvement, along with co-writer Katie Dippold, in October,[34] and confirmed his intention to have "hilarious women" star in the film.[35] He added the TV series The Walking Dead partly inspired him,[36] and his goal was to "tell a story you haven't seen before. Or tell a story you've seen before, but in a way you haven't seen it".[37]
Feig said that Sony Pictures Entertainment's co-chairman Amy Pascal had been pushing for comedy writers to produce a script for a new Ghostbusters film for some time. He believed that most of these writers, like himself, did not want to ruin the original film's canon. He also wanted to avoid a premise similar to Ghostbusters II, where the Ghostbusters have to lose their success to begin a new story. This led to the idea of a reboot featuring a new set of characters, an idea that Pascal supported.[38]
Casting
[edit]In January 2015, Feig confirmed his intention to use Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in the lead roles. At that point, McCarthy had already committed to the film while Sony was in negotiations with the other actresses.[39][40] Emma Stone was approached to star, but declined in part because she did not want to commit to a franchise.[41] Cecily Strong, who appears in a supporting role, was also considered for a leading role.[42] Aykroyd said he and his family were "delighted" that "these most magnificent women in comedy" had inherited "the Ghostbusters torch".[43]
Bill Murray has a cameo role in the film. In a 2019 interview, he said his decision to participate in the film was because of his friendships with McCarthy and McKinnon, and he felt it was important to support their project.[15]
Filming
[edit]Principal photography began on June 17, 2015, in Boston.[44][45] Feig and the set dressers Carolyn Lassek and Claudia Bonfe consulted with MIT physicists on set details before shooting.[46][47] Filming took place in Boston's Chinatown for a few days in early July.[48] Hemsworth was spotted filming some scenes on the Ghostbusters bike in August.[49] After finishing at the old Naval Air Station in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, filming began in Tribeca in New York City on September 12.[50][51] Three days later, filming took place in Waltham, Massachusetts,[52] and then outside of Columbia University in New York.[51] Filming wrapped on September 19 in New York City.[53] The subway scenes were filmed on a sound stage, as there is no Seward Street station in the New York City Subway. Reshoots took place in Los Angeles in May 2016,[54] and included new scenes that served as a metafictional comment on the internet controversy the film aroused.[7]
Effects
[edit]Six companies dealt with the 1,700 visual effects shots, under the supervision of Pete Travers. The main studios were Sony Pictures Imageworks, with 300 shots that included the climactic Times Square sequence and all the proton beams.[55] Moving Picture Company (MPC), had 250 shots that centered on the final battle which included Rowan's monster form.[55] The Australian company Iloura, worked with 500 shots encompassing various ghosts.[56] While most of the work involved computer-generated imagery, there was an attempt to use various practical effects akin to the original movies, with Travers explaining it was done "not to pay homage, but because it was the best way to achieve the effect".[57]
Stand-ins for the ghosts were created on the set for the actors to interact with. These included actresses suspended by wires, drones as references for flying ghosts, a Slimer puppet and giant balloons for a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man parade balloon. As the ghosts in the film glow, the doubles were covered in light-emitting diodes to provide lighting references for the effects crew.[58][59]
The climactic Times Square sequence, which starts with the antagonist proclaiming, "Welcome to the glory days of New York City", used special effects to transform it into a bygone mix of stores, buildings and billboards dating back through the decades. These included the Bond Clothing Store, neon signs for the defunct airlines Braniff International Airways (ended in 1982) and BOAC (ended in 1974), billboards advertising the release of the 1976 film Taxi Driver, the 1971 film Isle of the Snake People, and the 1962 to 1964 Broadway theatre production of Beyond the Fringe. The scene also included a combination of the Sony, Canadian Club, and Coca-Cola neon signs that lit up Times Square in different eras, marquees for the long departed Times Square movie theaters showing pornographic films and the 1971 film Fists of Fury, and other chronological anachronisms.[60]
Following a test done by stereoscopic supervisor Ed Marsh, Feig decided to take a different approach to the 3D effects, as the movie was letterboxed even in theaters, so that some objects, mostly regarding the ghosts manifesting themselves, would reach beyond the black bars.[61]
Music
[edit]The film soundtrack album, Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, was released by RCA Records on July 15, 2016. Four versions of "Ghostbusters" are included on this soundtrack, each performed by Walk the Moon, Pentatonix, Fall Out Boy featuring Missy Elliott, and the original by Ray Parker Jr.[62][63] The film score, composed by Theodore Shapiro, was released via digital download on July 8, and CD on July 15 by Sony Classical Records.[64][65]
Controversy
[edit]Ghostbusters received criticism on social media following word of Feig's involvement and the all-female cast, which some felt was a "gimmick".[66] On its first day of release, the first trailer for the film collected 12,000 likes and 13,800 dislikes from YouTube viewers which, according to David Griner of Ad Week made it "one of the most polarizing in recent memory".[67] By May 2016, the trailer had become the most disliked film trailer on YouTube,[68] and the ninth-most-disliked YouTube video, with 280,000 likes to over one million dislikes.[69][70][71] ScreenCrush described the reaction as a campaign "to downvote [the film] into oblivion" by "a certain subset of people on the internet [with] an unhealthy fixation with hating on the Ghostbusters remake".[68][72] In one interview, Melissa McCarthy felt it was a "very, very, very tiny, tiny group of people" who were misogynistic.[73] Other reasons proposed for the negative reaction to the trailer included a lack of interest in reboots, nostalgia for the original film and a perceived lack of humor in the trailer.[74] The film's IMDb page was also subject to a coordinated effort to lower its rating before the film's release.[8][9] Some media outlets dubbed it "The Female Ghostbusters".[75]
Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times suggested fans felt "entitled" to a film that preserved the original as they imagined it.[76] In an interview with Mashable, Ivan Reitman said, "I think there's way too much talk about gender [when it comes to this film]", and "I think that many of the people who were complaining were actually lovers of the [original] movie, not haters of women".[77] Some saw the portrayal of Leslie Jones' character, a "street-smart New Yorker", as a stereotype of African Americans.[78][79][80] Jones responded to this criticism on Twitter writing: "Why can't a regular person be a Ghostbuster?"[81] Elizabeth Flock, writing for PBS, said that racism toward Jones may have motivated the vote brigading targeted at the film.[82]
Journalists from The Washington Post and The Atlantic claimed a majority of the criticism constituted misogynistic and anti-feminist comments about the female cast.[74][83] Wiig was "bummed out" that "there was so much controversy because we were women".[84] Feig said he believed a group of fans had "real issues with women. But there's also a huge group of people who are just concerned about the property, and I completely understand. I'm completely sympathetic to that".[38] In May 2016, additional scenes were shot for the film, which served as a meta-reference to the controversy. In those scenes, the characters upload a video to YouTube and react to unpleasant comments left by viewers.[7]
Filmmaker James Rolfe, creator of the web series Angry Video Game Nerd, declared that he would not see the new film and disliked how it was based in a new universe with no continuity with the previous films.[74][85] Brooks Barnes of The New York Times and Daniel Friedman of Polygon considered Rolfe's views an example of "fan entitlement", criticizing his haste to judge the film without seeing it and his lack of concern for other remakes of films he admired, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[86][87] Rolfe received personal attacks online for his position;[86][87] according to commentators for The Washington Post, Salon, and Polygon, though Rolfe had not mentioned gender, some people considered his motivation misogynistic.[74][88][89] Richard Roeper's negative review of the film was also met with criticism on social media and from Salon, who accused him of male bias.[90] Roeper responded: "How insulting would it be to give a film a pass because of good intentions and diversity in the casting? That's not equal treatment; that's condescension".[91] Journalists from The Atlantic and NBC News saw the controversy as part of the culture war and gender divide engaged across social media. They, along with Feig, noted what they saw as commonalities to the events and reactions of the Gamergate controversy in video games.[74][87][92]
Following the release of the film, cast member Leslie Jones became the target of racist and sexist abuse on Twitter.[93][94] A number of users, including Feig, showed support for Jones and criticized Twitter's handling of the situation.[95] Feig was highly critical of the haters on his tweet.[96][97] On July 19, Twitter suspended the account of then Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos, who had criticized Jones, allegedly for abusive behavior over the previous 48 hours.[98] Conversely, Jones and her character in the film were also accused of promoting negative stereotypes about black people.[81][99][100]
In November 2017, Feig expressed regret that the social issues surrounding Ghostbusters affected its public perception and commercial performance. He defended the film, saying: "It was a great regret in my life that the movie didn't do better, 'cause I really loved it. It's not a perfect movie. None of my movies are perfect. I liked what we were doing with it. It was only supposed to be there to entertain people".[101]
In 2018, while promoting the all-female led film Ocean's 8, Sandra Bullock said the reaction that Ghostbusters received was "unfair on a level that I can't even not be mad about talking about. They literally walked into a firing squad. You had five of the most gifted comedian actresses on the planet — I'm just gonna leave it at that. And it doesn't just take five people to make a movie. It takes about 300, so, you know what? Let's back off the meanness. Let's have a year of kindness. The women are here — we're not going anywhere. But this isn't about just women. We like sitting at the table with men. We just want to be invited to their table as well because we like them at our table".[102]
Release
[edit]Ghostbusters premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9, 2016. It was theatrically released on July 11 in the United Kingdom and on July 15 in the United States.[103] The film was not released in the Chinese market. A Chinese executive reported that China Film Group Corporation believed it was "not really that attractive to Chinese audiences. Most of the Chinese audience didn't see the first and second movies, so they don't think there's much market for it here".[104]
Marketing
[edit]The first Ghostbusters trailer was released on March 3, 2016. It was viewed 24 million times in 24 hours on Facebook and YouTube,[105] and more than 60 million times across all social media platforms in its first week.[106]
Original Ghostbusters cast members Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson and Potts joined the new cast on the June 8 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which was entirely dedicated to the new film.[107]
Sony partnered with Snapchat to promote the film with "busting" and "sliming" features. The filter, which features the Ghostbusters logo, allows users to shoot at the character Slimer with their front-facing cameras and a virtual proton pack. In addition, 10-second video teaser ads ran within Snapchat's Discover section.[108] Tor Books published a novelization of the film, written by Nancy Holder.[109]
Title
[edit]The end credits use the title Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. Feig said this was added by the studio, which wanted to avoid confusion by having two films with the title Ghostbusters. He rejected the title Ghostbusters 2016, feeling it would date it. The studio chose Answer the Call; according to Feig: "I just said, 'Don't put it on the front of the movie. If you put it on the end, I don't care'".[1]
Home media
[edit]Ghostbusters was released on DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 11, 2016.[110] The release includes the extended cut of the film, which incorporates over 17 minutes of some deleted scenes:[111]
- One scene shows Erin being ridiculed as a "ghost girl" on the street, which leads to her punching the bully.
- Scenes establishing Erin wanting recognition in the scientific community and thus her dedication to ghost hunting.
- Additional scenes to flesh out the background of Rowan and why he wanted to unleash ghosts. Notably, in this scene it is revealed that most ghosts are men.[112]
- In the final battle, one attempt to end the standoff by "crossing the streams" (as in the original film), which does not work.
- Several dancing scenes, including one around the film's climax.
In December 2021, director Paul Feig's film was omitted from publicity material for an announced eight-disc boxed set titled Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection containing all other Ghostbusters films in the franchise up to 2021 for release in February 2022. Feig considered this "a mistake […] So, I guess this was just an oversight?" by the distributors.[113][114]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Ghostbusters grossed $128.3 million in North America and $100.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $229.1 million,[5] against a net production budget of $144 million.[115] Because of the large amount spent on marketing, the studio stated the film would need to gross at least $300 million to break even.[116] Before the release, director Paul Feig said: "A movie like this has to at least get to like $500 million worldwide, and that's probably low".[117]
The Hollywood Reporter estimated the film's financial losses would be over $70 million.[116][118][119] A representative of Sony found this loss estimate to be "way off": "With multiple revenue streams ... the bottom line, even before co-financing, is not even remotely close to that number".[116][118] According to Variety, sources familiar with the film's financing estimate the total loss to be about $75 million, of which, due to co-financing with Village Roadshow, Sony would lose about $50 million.[120] Sony insiders have projected, along with co-financing, a total loss of about $25 million.[120] Bloomberg News estimated the film lost $58.6 million.[121] By August 2016, sources such as Forbes and The Wall Street Journal had begun calling Ghostbusters a box-office bomb.[10][122][123][124] The film's performance contributed to Sony taking a $1 billion writedown in January 2017.[125]
In the United States and Canada, the film opened Friday, July 15, across 3,963 theaters, and was projected to gross $40–50 million in its first weekend.[126] It earned $17.2 million on its first day,[126] including $3.4 million it made from Thursday preview screenings,[127] later going on to earn $46 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind The Secret Life of Pets ($50.8 million).[115] It procured the biggest opening weekend ever for director Feig and star Melissa McCarthy and was the biggest live-action comedy debut since Pitch Perfect 2 in May 2015.[128] In its second weekend, the film dropped 54% to $21 million (compared to the first film increasing in its sophomore week by 11%), dropping to fifth at the box office.[129]
Outside North America, Ghostbusters earned $19.1 million in its opening weekend from a handful of markets on 3,900 screens. IMAX contributed $1 million from 105 IMAX screens.[130] It had number one openings in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ($6.1 million), number one in Australia ($3.7 million), and number three in Brazil ($2.2 million).[115] It debuted at number one on the DVD and Blu-ray charts after its release on home media in North America.[131]
In a June 2017 television appearance, Aykroyd blamed the film's underperformance on Feig. According to Aykroyd, Feig refused to shoot additional scenes requested by Aykroyd and Sony until test screenings demonstrated they were necessary, costing an additional $30–40 million in reshoots (although Sony claimed reshoots only cost $3–4 million).[132] He wrote a few days later: "Paul Feig made a good movie and had a superb cast and plenty of money to do it. We just wish he had been more inclusive to the originators. It cost everyone as it is unlikely Kristen, Leslie, Melissa and Kate will ever reprise their roles as Ghostbusters which is sad".[133]
Critical response
[edit]On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Ghostbusters has an approval rating of 74%, based on 394 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Ghostbusters does an impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvelously cast supernatural comedy—even if it can't help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original".[134] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[135] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave a 57% "definite recommend".[126]
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praised the film as "that rarest of big-studio offerings—a movie that is a lot of enjoyable, disposable fun".[136] In The Guardian, Nigel M. Smith awarded the film four out of five and wrote that the "mean-spirited reception to the film before anyone had seen it does not seem to have put a dampener on the movie itself. Fun oozes from almost every frame; likewise the energy of a team excited to be revolutionising the blockbuster landscape".[137] Mike Ryan of Uproxx gave the film a positive review, praising the characters but feeling CGI was overused.[138] J.R. Kinnard of PopMatters praised the performances and the lack of cynicism, but concluded "it feels like a safe, flavorless recipe prepared from gourmet ingredients".[139] The Village Voice said the film "suffers from the anxiety of influence" of the original, but praised the actors.[140] Mara Reinstein of US Weekly gave the film 2.5 out of 4, commending its actors but criticizing its "lazy script that takes forever to get going" and "uninspired" action sequences.[141]
Observer critic Mark Kermode awarded the film three out of five and wrote: "It would have been great to report that the finished film is good enough to shut the bigoted naysayers up once and for all ... The harsh truth is that it isn't". He felt that the film was "generally likeable but uneven".[142] Richard Lawson, writing for Vanity Fair, said the film "spends so much time doing battle with its legacy that it forgets to be its own movie, putting a talented cast to waste and marking another disappointment in this dreadful summer movie season".[143] James Berardinelli felt it was mediocre, and, like many recent comedies, "too long and not funny enough".[144] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one out of four, criticizing its acting, script, and "cheesy" special effects.[145] In his radio review, Roeper said that the film was one of the worst movies of the year, rating it a D−.[146]
Accolades
[edit]Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominees | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance of Women Film Journalists | December 21, 2016 | Actress Most in Need of a New Agent | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated | [147][148] |
Remake or Sequel That Shouldn't Have Been Made | Ghostbusters | Nominated | |||
Annie Awards | February 4, 2017 | Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production | Terry Bannon, Nicholas Tripodi, Daniel Fotheringham, Matt Weaver, and Julien Boudou | Nominated | [149] |
Black Reel Awards | February 16, 2017 | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female | Leslie Jones | Nominated | [150] |
Critics' Choice Awards | December 11, 2016 | Best Actress in a Comedy | Kate McKinnon | Nominated | [151] |
Empire Awards | March 19, 2017 | Best Comedy | Ghostbusters | Nominated | [152] |
Hugo Awards | August 11, 2017 | Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form | Katie Dippold & Paul Feig | Nominated | [153] |
Kids' Choice Awards | March 11, 2017 | Favorite Movie | Ghostbusters | Won | [154] |
Favorite Movie Actor | Chris Hemsworth | Won | |||
Favorite Movie Actress | Melissa McCarthy | Won | |||
Kristen Wiig | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Squad | Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | January 18, 2017 | Favorite Comedic Movie | Ghostbusters | Nominated | [155] |
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress | Melissa McCarthy | Won | |||
Kristen Wiig | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Comedic Movie Actor | Chris Hemsworth | Nominated | |||
Saturn Awards | June 28, 2017 | Best Fantasy Film | Ghostbusters | Nominated | [156] |
Best Supporting Actress | Kate McKinnon | Nominated | |||
Seattle Film Critics Society | January 5, 2017 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Kate McKinnon | Nominated | [157][158] |
Teen Choice Awards | July 31, 2016 | Choice Summer Movie | Ghostbusters | Nominated | [159] |
Choice Summer Movie Star: Female | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated | |||
Kristen Wiig | Nominated | ||||
Choice Summer Movie Star: Male | Chris Hemsworth | Nominated | |||
Women Film Critics Circle | December 19, 2016 | Best Comedic Actress | Kate McKinnon | Won | [160] |
Best Ensemble | The cast of Ghostbusters | Nominated | |||
Best Female Action Hero | The women of Ghostbusters | Won |
Future
[edit]Canceled sequel
[edit]After its opening weekend, Sony's president of worldwide distribution, Rory Bruer, told TheWrap that "while nothing has been officially announced, there's no doubt in [his] mind [a sequel] will happen". He also said that Ghostbusters was expected to become an important Sony franchise.[161] The principal cast and Feig had signed on for two sequels.[116]
Some outlets, such as The Hollywood Reporter, expressed doubts about a sequel because of the film's box office performance.[116][118] Box office analyst Jeff Bock said: "I just can't fathom the creative talents behind it—Feig, McCarthy, Wiig, etc—slogging out another one when the reception to the first one was so mediocre".[116]
In an October interview the same year, Feig told Bustle that a sequel was not in the works, but could be possible if the film performed well on its home release.[162] By November, Feig confirmed that a direct sequel would not be made due to the film's mediocre box office performance.[163]
Possible animated series and film
[edit]The same month, Reitman said in an interview that other Ghostbusters projects were in development.[164] Before Reitman's announcement, an animated series, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force, was slated to be targeting an early 2018 debut.[165] Reitman further clarified plans for future animated films within the Ghostbusters franchise during the July 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, including having one set from the viewpoint of the ghosts rather than the Ghostbusters, and a work as a potential tie-in to the 35th anniversary of the original film in 2019.[166]
Comic book series
[edit]IDW Publishing released a six-part limited series comic, Ghostbusters 101, featuring the original Ghostbusters teaming up with the 2016 team. The first issue was released in March 2017.[167] A five-issue limited series, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, which continues the adventures of the 2016 team, began in October.[168]
Literature
[edit]- 2016: Nancy Holder: GHOSTBUSTERS novelization, Macmillan USA, ISBN 978-0765388438
- 2016: Stacia Deutsch: Ghostbusters Movie Novelization, Simon Spotlight, ISBN 978-1481475129
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Lussier, Germain (September 2016). "Nope, Ghostbusters Did Not Suddenly Get a New Title". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Peter Debruge (July 10, 2016). "'Ghostbusters': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "GHOSTBUSTERS (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. June 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "Ghostbusters (2016)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Ghostbusters (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- ^ Caro, Mark. "Harold Ramis, Chicago actor, writer and director, dead at 69". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ a b c Sharf, Zack (July 8, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Reboot Added New Scene As Reaction To Internet Backlash". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Hayes, Britt (July 11, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Haters Spam IMDb With Low Ratings". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ a b Hickey, Walt (July 14, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Is A Perfect Example Of How Internet Movie Ratings Are Broken". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Fritz, Ben (August 14, 2016). "Rising Box Office Masks Glut of Big-Budget Film Flops". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ "Sequel to Ghostbusters Reboot Not Happening According To Director". University Herald. November 24, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c O'Connell, Sean (October 15, 2014). "Bill Murray Finally Explains Why He Kept Passing On Ghostbusters 3". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ Meslow, Scott (January 29, 2015). "The long, troubled history of the new Ghostbusters movie: A timeline". The Week. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Setoodeh, Ramin (October 14, 2014). "'Ghostbusters' Reboot: Will Bill Murray Return in Smaller Role?". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Kohn, Eric (May 15, 2019). "Bill Murray Says He's Ready to Do Another 'Ghostbusters': 'It Paid For My Son's College'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- ^ Stax (July 30, 2002). "IGN Filmforce Exclusive: The Stax Report: Script Review of Ghostbusters 3: Hellbent!". IGN. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Ramis Plans 'Ghostbusters 3' with Stiller". Hollywood.com. November 6, 2005. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd on Ghostbusters game". NowGamer. June 29, 2009. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Abrams, Brian (December 29, 2009). "Ramis on Ghostbusters 3: "Plans to Shoot Next Summer and Release in 2011"". Heeb Magazine. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Flemming, Michael (September 4, 2008). "Columbia calls up new 'Ghostbusters'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Brodesser-Akner, Claude (March 17, 2010). "Vulture Exclusive: Columbia Wants a Younger Director for Ghostbusters III, But Ivan Reitman's Contract Says Otherwise". Vulture. New York. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Fierman, Dan (July 18, 2010). "Bill Murray Is Ready To See You Now". GQ. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Michels, Susan (October 5, 2010). "Dan Aykroyd Writing Ghostbusters 3 Script, Selling Vodka Out of His RV". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Iley, Chrissey (February 28, 2012). "Dan Aykroyd: a comedy legend's spiritual side". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (July 3, 2012). "Dan Aykroyd Says GHOSTBUSTERS 3 Has a New Writing Team". Collider. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (July 8, 2016). "The Rise and Fall of Ghostbusters 3". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ Radish, Christia (September 24, 2012). "Ivan Reitman and Lauren Shuler Donner Talk DAVE on Blu-ray, How Gary Ross Got Involved, As Well As Sequel News for Ghostbusters and Twins". Collider. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Flemming, Mike Jr. (October 17, 2012). "Paramount In Talks For Tom Cruise Pic 'Our Name Is Adam', But Studio Punts Ivan Reitman/Kevin Costner's 'Draft Day'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 18, 2014). "Third Installment Of 'Ghostbusters' A Go For Early 2015; Death Of Pal Harold Ramis Prompts Ivan Reitman To Turn Over Directing Reins". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 26, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Lenchek, Silas (May 20, 2013). "Dan Aykroyd Reveals New Ghostbusters 3 Plot Details". Comingsoon.net. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (March 19, 2014). "Director Ivan Reitman Backs Out of 'Ghostbusters' Sequel". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Khatchatourian, Maane (August 2, 2014). "Paul Feig in Talks to Direct 'Ghostbusters' Reboot With Women". Variety. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Kit, Borys (August 2, 2014). "'Ghostbusters 3' Targets Paul Feig as Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Ayers, Mike (October 8, 2014). "'Ghostbusters 3' Is Officially On". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Hare, Breeanna (October 8, 2014). "New 'Ghostbusters' to star women, director Paul Feig confirms". CNN. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ "Ghostbusters inspired by Walking Dead". RTÉ TEN. February 27, 2015. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ Klickstein, Mathew (May 2, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' director Paul Feig responds to attacks on his all-female reboot". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ a b Rafterty, Brian (July 7, 2016). "Ghostbusters Director Paul Feig Talks Haters, Slime, and Sexism". Wired. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 27, 2015). "'Ghostbusters' Female Cast Taking Shape at Sony". Variety. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ Kit, Borys (January 27, 2015). "New All-Female 'Ghostbusters' Cast Chosen". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Eells, Josh (June 17, 2015). "Emma Stone Talks 'Irrational Man', the Sony Hack and Keeping Her Personal Life Private". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Cunningham, Joe (February 17, 2015). "Paul Feig has carved out a great role in Ghostbusters just for Cecily Strong". Film Divider. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
- ^ McDermott, Emmet (January 28, 2015). "Dan Aykroyd: New 'Ghostbusters' Cast Is "Magnificent"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Feig, Paul [@paulfeig] (June 17, 2015). "And ... action! #slimetimestartstomorrow pic.twitter.com/FBKCAP5zMs" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ Miller, Michael (June 18, 2015). "Check Out Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon in First Photos from the Ghostbusters Set". People. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Winslow, Lindley (July 12, 2016). "Ghostbusters: Yes, the Equations are Correct". Sloan Science & Film. Archived from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Feig, Paul [@paulfeig] (June 29, 2015). "#whatyougonnawear pic.twitter.com/o5oyHeIaSx" (Tweet). Retrieved June 30, 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ "'Ghostbusters' filming on High Street in Boston this weekend". On Location Vacations. July 11, 2015. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Whitney, Erin (August 18, 2015). "See Chris Hemsworth In His 'Ghostbusters' Uniform". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "'Ghostbusters' filming in NYC this weekend". On Location Vacations. September 10, 2015. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Hotung, Sophia (September 15, 2015). "Ghostbusters spotted filming outside Columbia". Columbia Daily Spectator. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ Arsenault, Charlene (September 15, 2015). "'Ghostbusters' Starts Filming in Waltham This Week". patch.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ "Ghostbusters Photos: A Look at the Final Day of Shooting". ComingSoon.net. September 20, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
- ^ Walano, Rose (May 2, 2016). "Melissa McCarthy Glows Without Makeup on 'Ghostbusters' Set". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ a b Romanello, Lina (August 1, 2016). "Ghostbusters: MPC tackles the paranormal". Post Magazine. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "Iloura Gets Spooky for 'Ghostbusters'". Animation World Network. July 21, 2016. Archived from the original on July 26, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ Failes, Ian (July 18, 2016). "How 'Ghostbusters' Reboot Revived Slimer and Stay Puft as CGI". Inverse. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (July 17, 2016). "'Ghostbusters': How the Visual Effects Team Brought Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man Back to Life". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Failes, Ian (July 22, 2016). "Crossing Streams: A Step-by-Step Guide to the VFX of 'GHOSTBUSTERS'". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Korn, Steve (July 20, 2016). "How 'Ghostbusters' Re-Created a Bizarro Times Square". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Buchanan, Kyle (July 20, 2016). "Why Ghostbusters Looks So Unusual in 3-D". Vulture. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available July 15th – RCA Records". RCA Records. Sony Music Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ "Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists on Apple Music". iTunes. Apple Inc. July 15, 2016. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- ^ "Theodore Shapiro to Score 'Ghostbusters' Reboot". Film Music Reporter. September 24, 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Krakower, Beth; Barkan, Angela; Slezak, Larissa. "GHOSTBUSTERS Original Motion Picture Score Available Now Digitally and On CD July 15". Sony. Sony Corporation of America. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Hare, Breeanna (August 4, 2014). "'Ghostbusters' reboot: Paul Feig, and an all-women cast?". CNN. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Griner, David (March 3, 2016). "Reactions to the All-Female Ghostbusters Trailer Prove It'll Be the Most Polarizing Movie of the Year". Ad Week. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Ghostbusters trailer 'most disliked' on YouTube". BBC News. May 3, 2016. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (May 18, 2016). "After YouTube "Dislikes" Controversy, Sony's New 'Ghostbusters' Trailer Debuts Elsewhere First". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Howard, Adam (March 9, 2016). "All-female 'Ghostbusters' already fending off controversy". MSNBC. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Framke, Caroline (July 15, 2016). "How the all-female Ghostbusters reboot became a lightning rod of controversy". Archived from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ Sampson, Mike (April 29, 2016). "Why the 'Ghostbusters' Trailer Is the Most 'Disliked' Movie Trailer in YouTube History". Screen Crush. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Loh, Genevieve Sarah (July 13, 2016). "Ghostbuster Melissa McCarthy on who she wants to slime in real life". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Sims, David (May 18, 2016). "The Ongoing Outcry Against the Ghostbusters Remake". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Page-Kirby, Kristen (July 15, 2016). "He's not a loser just because he hates the female 'Ghostbusters'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ Martens, Todd (July 25, 2016). "Creators, fans and death threats: Talking to Joss Whedon, Neil Gaiman and more on the Age of Entitlement". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Coggan, Devan (June 30, 2016). "Original 'Ghostbusters' director Ivan Reitman: Reboot backlash due to nostalgia, not sexism". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ Clarisse, Loughrey (March 3, 2016). "Anger over 'add-on' black character in new Ghostbusters film". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ D, Tanya (July 21, 2016). "Ghostbusters is still haunted by negative racial tropes". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Robinson, Janessa E. (March 8, 2016). "They call this Ghostbusters reboot feminist. Not for black women". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b JV Chamary (July 19, 2016). "The Real Problem With 'Ghostbusters' Is Racist Stereotypes". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Flock, Elizabeth (February 7, 2017). "Is 'I Am Not Your Negro' the latest victim of online 'vote brigading'?". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Merry, Stephanie (March 4, 2016). "People hate the 'Ghostbusters' trailer, and yes, it's because it stars women". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Olsen, Mark (October 23, 2015). "With 'Nasty Baby', Kristen Wiig is officially crazy-busy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Hassenger, Jesse (May 25, 2016). "Ghostbusters, Frozen, and the strange entitlement of fan culture". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Barnes, Brooks (June 19, 2016). "What a 'Ghostbusters' Online Attack Says About the Digital Age". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 26, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c Friedman, Daniel (July 13, 2016). "How we've lost the ability to criticize Ghostbusters". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Rosa, Matthew (July 15, 2016). "Buying "Ghostbusters" — or not: How buying in or boycotting a summer family movie became a political act". Salon. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Young, Cathy (June 30, 2016). "Feminists treat men badly. It's bad for feminism". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Lang, Nico (July 12, 2016). "The growing gender divide over "Ghostbusters": Why movies starring women get slimed by male critics". Salon. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (July 17, 2016). "Panning 'Ghostbusters' gets Roeper a dose of some freaky posts". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Howard, Adam (May 26, 2016). "Sexist 'Ghostbusters' Backlash Coincides With 2016 Gender Divide". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ Bryant, Jacob (July 18, 2016). "Leslie Jones Calls Out Racist 'Ghostbusters' Haters on Twitter". Variety. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Stevens, Heidi (July 20, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' star Leslie Jones stands up to racist, sexist trolls". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Fisher, Luchina; McBride, Brian (July 19, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Star Leslie Jones Quits Twitter After Online Harassment". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Feig, Paul [@paulfeig] (March 8, 2016). "Fuck the haters" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Paul Feig defends Leslie Jones' role in 'Ghostbusters': 'Grow up and leave my cast alone'". New York Daily News. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Isaac, Mike (July 20, 2016). "Twitter Bars Milo Yiannopoulos in Wake of Leslie Jones's Reports of Abuse". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Corinne Heller (March 3, 2016). "Ghostbusters Reboot Racist? Leslie Jones Responds to Critics After Trailer Is Released". E! News. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ Nico Lang (March 4, 2016). "The new "Ghostbusters" and race: Why it matters that Leslie Jones isn't playing one of the scientists". Salon. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ Ferber, Taylor (November 20, 2017). "Paul Feig Regrets That His Ghostbusters Remake Turned Into a 'Cause'". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Rawden, Jessica (June 7, 2018). "Sandra Bullock Says The Reaction To Female Ghostbusters Movie Was Unfair". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (August 5, 2015). "Sony Dates 16 Films Including Two More 'Bad Boys' Sequels, 'Jumanji' Remake". Variety. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (July 13, 2016). "Ghostbusters Denied Release in China". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Zumberge, Marianne (March 4, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Trailer Racks Up 24 Million Views in First 24 Hours, Topping 'Tarzan', 'Independence Day'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 11, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' First Trailer Clocks 60M Views; More Chris Hemsworth & Leslie Jones In The International Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ Gottlieb, Meryl (June 9, 2016). "Melissa McCarthy slammed the 'Ghostbusters' reboot haters in the best way". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Johnson, Lauren (July 7, 2016). "Ghostbusters' Snapchat Ad Lets Users Use Both Sides of the Phone's Camera to Add Filters". Adweek. Archived from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Holder, Nancy (2016). Ghostbusters. Tor Books. ISBN 9780765388438.
- ^ "Ghostbusters DVD Release Date October 11, 2016". DVDs Release Dates. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Trendacosta, Katharine (September 29, 2016). "The Extended Ghostbusters Cut Fixes the Film's Biggest Plot Hole". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Boone, John (October 11, 2016). "Paul Feig on Moving Past the 'Ghostbusters' Backlash and Why He Decided Not to Cross the Streams (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Colangelo, B. J. (December 21, 2021). "The Ghostbusters Ultimate Gift Set Doesn't Include Ghostbusters 2016 And That's A Huge Problem". SlashFilm. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (December 23, 2021). "Paul Feig Calls Out Sony for Not Including 2016 'Ghostbusters' Film in Franchise Box Set". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c McClintock, Pamela (July 17, 2016). "Box Office: 'Ghostbusters' No. 2 With $46M, Slimed By 'Secret Life of Pets'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f McClintock, Pamela (August 10, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Heading for $70M-Plus Loss, Sequel Unlikely". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Yuan, Jada (July 11, 2016). "Who Ya Gonna Troll?". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c Bradley, Laura (August 10, 2016). "What Busted the Ghostbusters?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ Abrams, Sean (August 10, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Lost Way Too Much Money to Earn a Sequel". Maxim. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ a b Rainey, James (August 10, 2016). "Sony's 'Ghostbusters' Loss Likely to Come to About $50 Million, Sources Say". Variety US. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ Anousha Sakoui (September 1, 2016). "Hollywood's Summertime Bombs Got a Lot More Disastrous This Year". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Lloyd, Brian (August 10, 2016). "Ghostbusters facing $70 million loss, sequel now unlikely". Entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (August 10, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Is (Sadly) A Disappointment". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ "The verdict is in: Ghostbusters flopped". News Limited. August 12, 2016. Archived from the original on September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ Mochizuki, Takashi; Fritz, Ben (January 30, 2017). "Sony to Write Down Nearly $1 Billion on Movie Business". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 19, 2016). "'Ghostbusters': How Its $46M Opening Creates A Quandary – Weekend Box Office Postmortem". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (July 16, 2016). "Box Office: 'Ghostbusters' Tops Friday With $17.2 Million". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (July 17, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Box Office: Is A $46 Million Weekend Big Enough?". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ^ Busch, Anita; D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 25, 2016). "'Star Trek Beyond' Launches To $59M; 'Lights Out' Electrifies; 'Ice Age' Tepid; 'Ghostbusters' No Cinderella Story – Box Office Final". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 17, 2016). "'Ice Age' Charts $53.5M Course To Lead Frame; 'Ghostbusters' Calls Up $19.1M In Offshore Bow – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ Arnold, Thomas (October 19, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Beats 'Tarzan' for Top Spot on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Sales Chart". Variety. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd Blames Director Paul Feig for 'Ghostbusters' Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. June 4, 2017. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (June 4, 2017). "Dan Aykroyd Blasts 'Ghostbusters' Director Paul Feig: "He Will Not Be Back on the Sony Lot Anytime Soon"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ "Ghostbusters (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ghostbusters Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (June 10, 2016). "Our 'Ghostbusters' Review: Girls Rule. Women Are Funny. Get Over It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Nigel M. (July 10, 2016). "Ghostbusters review: call off the trolls – Paul Feig's female reboot is a blast". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ Ryan, Mike (June 10, 2016). "The New 'Ghostbusters' Will Make Misogynists Mad, Because It's Pretty Darn Good". Uproxx. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Kinnard, J.R. (July 14, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Pays Homage to the Original, But Fails to Forge Its Own Identity". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Melissa (July 10, 2016). "Busted Flat: All-Too-Normal Activity Dominates the 'Ghostbusters' Remake". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Reinstein, Mary (July 11, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Review: Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig Save the World — And an 'Uninspired' Script". US Weekly. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (July 17, 2016). "Ghostbusters review – a misfiring remake". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ Lawson, Richard (July 10, 2016). "Ghostbusters Review". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Berardinelli, James (July 14, 2016). "Ghostbusters (United States, 2016): A Movie Review by James Berardinelli". Reelviews. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (July 11, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' reboot a horrifying mess". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (July 13, 2016). Richard Roeper on the new "Ghostbusters": "Don't see this movie..." (Radio broadcast). 3:50 minutes in. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ Merin, Jennifer (December 16, 2016). "2016 AWFJ EDA Award Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ McCue, Michelle (December 16, 2016). "'Arrival', 'La La Land', 'Hell or High Water' Among The Nominees for the 2016 AWFJ EDA Awards". We Are Movie Geeks. Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "44th Annie Award Nominees". International Animated Film Society. November 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (December 14, 2016). "Black Reel Award Nominees – 'Moonlight' Leads with 13 Nominations". AwardsCircuit.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "La La Land Leads with 12 Nominations for the 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards". Critics' Choice. December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Pape, Danny (February 7, 2017). "Star Wars: Rogue One Leads Empire Awards 2017 Nominations". Flickreel. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ Liptak, Andrew (August 11, 2017). "Women swept nearly every category at the 2017 Hugo Awards". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "Justin Timberlake and Kevin Hart Lead Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards Nominations". Variety. February 2, 2017. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards Nominees 2017 — Full List". Deadline Hollywood. November 15, 2016. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^ McNary, Dave (March 2, 2017). "Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One', 'Walking Dead' Lead". Variety. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ "The 2016 Seattle Film Award Nominees". Seattle Film Critics Society. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- ^ ""Moonlight" Awarded Best Picture by Seattle Film Critics Society". Seattle Film Critics Society. January 5, 2017. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Vulpo, Mike (May 24, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016 Nominations Announced: See the "First Wave" of Potential Winners". E!. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- ^ Berger, Laura (December 14, 2016). "Women Film Critics Circle Nominations: "Hidden Figures," "13th," & More". Women and Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ Venter, Jason (July 18, 2016). "Sony has plans for a Ghostbusters sequel". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Simon, Rachel (October 24, 2016). "A 'Ghostbusters' Sequel Could Still Happen If Holtzmann Fans Show Their Support, Says Director Paul Feig". Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Sequel to Ghostbusters Reboot Not Happening According To Director". University Herald. November 24, 2016. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Anderton, Ethan (November 28, 2016). "Ivan Reitman Says There Are "Many" More 'Ghostbusters' Movies in Development". /Film. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- ^ Kit, Borys (June 20, 2016). "Sony Unveils Plans for Animated 'Spider-Man' and 'Emojimovie: Express Yourself'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ Auty, Dan (July 21, 2017). "Future Ghostbusters Movies Teased, Including New Animated Film". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "Ghostbusters To Meet 1984 Originals in Ghostbusters 101". Newsarama. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ Chris Arrant (July 19, 2017). "The New Ghostbusters Gets Their Own IDW Title". Newsarama. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
External links
[edit]- 2016 films
- 2016 comedy films
- 2010s buddy comedy films
- 2010s fantasy comedy films
- 2010s ghost films
- 2010s feminist films
- 2010s female buddy films
- 2010s superhero comedy films
- 2010s American films
- 2010s monster movies
- 2016 3D films
- American fantasy comedy films
- American comedy horror films
- American female buddy films
- American feminist comedy films
- American 3D films
- Australian comedy films
- Advertising and marketing controversies in film
- Casting controversies in film
- Columbia Pictures films
- Cultural depictions of Ozzy Osbourne
- 2010s English-language films
- Films about social media
- Films about spirit possession
- Films about terrorism
- Films about writers
- Films directed by Paul Feig
- Films produced by Amy Pascal
- Films produced by Ivan Reitman
- Films scored by Theodore Shapiro
- Films set in 2016
- Films set in hotels
- Films set in Manhattan
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in Columbia University
- Films shot in Boston
- Films shot in Massachusetts
- Films shot in New York City
- Films with screenplays by Katie Dippold
- Films with screenplays by Paul Feig
- Ghostbusters films
- IMAX films
- Mad scientist films
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award–winning films
- Reboot films
- The Montecito Picture Company films
- Village Roadshow Pictures films
- 4DX films
- English-language science fiction horror films
- English-language action comedy films
- English-language fantasy comedy films
- English-language buddy comedy films