The recent news that a male-centric version of Ghostbusters would be appearing in theaters a year after Paul Feig’s female-driven reboot of the horror/comedy franchise comes out raised the question as to whether or not the two films would be interconnected or separate entities. We know have an answer to that question direct from Feig himself.
Speaking to SuperheroHype while at the SXSW conference this past weekend to promote his upcoming comedy Spy, Feig was asked about the studios plans for the franchise outside of just his own film and if his and the other film will be connected.
I’m just concentrated on mine. That’s kind of the big plan that Ivan [Reitman] and Sony have. We’ll see if mine ends up tying into theirs. I’m not involved with that right now at all. My only goal is to get my ladies doing their thing.
This certainly correlates with what original Ghostbusters producer Ivan Reitman told Deadline last week –
This is a branded entertainment, a scary supernatural premise mixed with comedy. Paul Feig’s film will be the first version of that, shooting in June to come out in July 2016. He’s got four of the funniest women in the world, and there will be other surprises to come. The second film has a wonderful idea that builds on that.
Feig is slated to go into production on his version of Ghostbusters later this spring with the film reaching theaters in 2016. Meanwhile Reitman and original Ghostbusters co-creator/co-star Dan Aykroyd will be continuing to look at possible ways to expand the franchise through the Ghostcorps production house that the two partnered with the studio to create.
The male-lead Ghostbusters film already has Iron Man 3 co-scripter Drew Pierce working on a screenplay with Channing Tatum interested in playing a lead and Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-helmers Joe and Anthony Russo being courted to direct.
