Ever since "Ghostbusters II" was released in 1989, fans have begged for a third installment. For a few years in the mid-'90s, it seemed like "Ghostbusters III" might actually happen.
Not much is known about what it might've been about except for the fact that a younger group of Ghostbusters would've been introduced. Even though a script was written, most of the main cast was not interested in returning. The project eventually fizzled out due to lack of interest. The same thing happened again in the mid-2000s, and the more time passed, the more unlikely it seemed that the movie would ever be made. Despite more talks throughout the 2010s, hope was all but lost. Harold Ramis passed in 2014 and Bill Murray had no interest at all. There was no point in a third "Ghostbusters" movie without two of the four leads. To the surprise of everyone and against all odds, an all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot was announced in August of 2014.
As with any '80s reboot, not everyone was pleased with the news. The anger seems to be amplified due to the all-female cast, and the trailer is currently among the most-disliked videos in YouTube history (just under 844,000 dislikes compared to only 244,000 likes). Director Paul Feig, the same man responsible for such all-female comedy hits like "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat," attempted to silence the hate by posting a series of tweets in defense of his film and his cast. "Haters, attack me all you want but when you attack and insult my cast, you’ve crossed the line. Grow up and leave my cast alone."
Beyond receiving hate for having an all-female cast, the film has also been receiving hate for casting "SNL" cast member Leslie Jones as the only non-scientist of the bunch. Many criticized this casting decision and called it racist. Jones defended her role on Twitter, saying, "Why can’t a regular person be a ghostbuster. Im confused. And why can’t I be the one who plays them I am a performer. Just go see the movie!," and, "Regular People save the world everyday so if I’m the stereotype!! Then so be it!! We walk among Heroes and take them for granted," and, "ITS NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! ITS A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!! AND AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WE ALL GHOSTBUSTERS!! STAND TALL!!," in a series of tweets before contemplating taking a break from the website altogether.
All-female casts have never been an issue with audiences or with critics before. Recently, movies like "Pitch Perfect," "Bridesmaids," "Mean Girls," and shows like "Girls," "Broad City," and "Orange Is the New Black" have all been very successful, so there is no reason for "Ghostbusters" to be any different than the rest. With the film's release coming in just a couple weeks (July 15), it will be interesting to see how the film is received by critics and audiences. It is a shame the film is being rejected solely based on sexism and nostalgia, but hopefully the very funny cast made up of Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones will be able to conquer the hate and win over audiences once and for all.
