Paul Feig talks about internet reaction to Ghostbusters reboot and we set the record straight…

Paul Feig, the man rebooting Ghostbusters, erasing 30 years history of a franchise that was still alive, loved and in great condition, has said that the fan reaction has been terrible.

He tells Variety: “The Internet is really funny – I love it, but I hate it at the same time. The first wave when you make an announcement like that is overwhelmingly positive. Everyone’s so happy and you’re like, ‘This is great’. Then comes the second wave and you’re like, Oh my God. Some of the most vile, misogynistic s— I’ve ever seen in my life.”

We think it’s time to put down what we believe is the final word about what the fans really want and put to bed all the nonsense that many, including Feig and Sony, seem to be clinging to.

While we here at  FTN have said many, many times that we have no issue with a female cast, we believe that many  REAL fans like us were delighted at first – the first wave as he says – because a new Ghostbusters – Ghostbusters III – was great news. We’d waited a long time for Spengler, Venkman, Stantz and Zeddemore to return in body (and spirit).

However, while undoubtedly there are many sexist idiots out there who will complain about women in the roles, the real fans – the ones Feig and Sony pretend not to hear and would rather throw in with all the neanderthals – are crying out for a continuation of their favourite franchise.

You only need look at this year’s Toy Fair (here) or IDW Comics’ approach (here)  to know that the Ghostbusters we all know and love is alive and very well everywhere except where it was conceived… at Sony.

He continues: “The biggest thing I’ve heard for the last four months is, ‘Thanks for ruining my childhood.’ It’s going to be on my tombstone when I die. It’s so dramatic. Honestly, the only way I could ruin your childhood is if I got into a time machine and went back and made you an orphan.” Clearly he doesn’t realise just how important Ghostbusters is to people.

The main purpose to a reboot or remake is to take a franchise that has died and efforts to resusitate it have failed . This is not the case with Ghostbusters. Not at all. The recent video game was a big hit, the IDW series was too. The Mattel action figures, the neca toys and anything with the GB logo on it has sold really well, the fact that the 30th Anniversary put it very much front and centre speaks volumes here.

Personally, I speak for most of us here at FTN – male and female – when we say that Feig isn’t a good film-maker, at least not for a major tentpole like Ghostbusters. Not because he works with women, but because, for a comedy director, his movies aren’t very funny. So, no, we’re not delighted with him BUT we would have embraced him with open arms and would have embraced  the cast too, because they were keeping our favourite franchise alive and well where it belongs… in cinemas.

Now they aren’t, now they are closing a lid on what is loved by fans of all ages across the world and starting again. Unnecessarily.

Feig went on to say that he looks at haters on Twitter and is surprised by what he finds: “I figure it’s some wacked-out teenager. But almost constantly it’s someone who’s bio says ‘Proud father of two!’ And has some high-end job. You’re raising children and yet you’re bashing me about putting women in my movie?”

Again, we wonder if he is mashing us all together here; there are the sexist bunch but there are the ones like myself (yes, I’m a father of two with a good job) who have tweeted asking why he’s rebooted the series – he has liked and retweeted conversations I have been involved in on Twitter, and I’ve asked him to come on our show/site to talk about his choices in rebooting the movies NOT in casting women several time. I’ve told him I’m worried for the franchise and what he’s doing with it because he’s destroying all that history, not because he’s putting proton packs on women.

Most upsetting and puzzling, since he offers no details or idea about what was so difficult to understand, he says he was originally asked to make Ghosbusters III but he “couldn’t get his head around it”.

Well, Paul, here’s an idea: Ghostbusters Inc has been closed down for years. Stantz and Zeddemore are still good friends, Spengler has died and Venkman married Dana and they moved to Europe. A big monster/demon/ghost/mantis arises, Stantz and Zeddemore realise it’s too much for them to handle/they’re too old and so they need to form a new team… the team are women and THAT’S OK!

See? Fans happy, continuity maintained. Everyone happy. Job done.