Just last month, Sony exec Rory Bruer said he had “no doubt” that the studio would move forward with a sequel to Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot. That was then, this is now: The all-female reimagining of the 1984 classic has made $180 million at the global box office, which isn’t enough to justify Sony’s production and marketing costs…or a sequel, for that matter.
Paul Feig is best known for his original comedies, a filmmaker who’s brought the talents of female comedy actresses into the spotlight. But after rebooting ‘Ghostbusters’ with an all-female cast, Feig says he’ll return to original stories instead making another reboot.
If you haven’t been paying attention: Leslie Jones endured a barrage of disgusting racist and misogynist attacks that ultimately forced her to take a leave of absence from Twitter. The culprits? The very vocal contingency of Ghostbusters fans (aka Ghostbros) who have been decrying Paul Feig’s reboot because it features an all-female cast. Original Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd has come out in support of Jones, and he’s got some seriously harsh words for all the haters.
When Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters hit theaters over the weekend, a couple of things happened: It did fairly well at the box office — landing in second place just below The Secret Life of Pets — and no one’s childhood was destroyed. A $46 million opening isn’t mind-blowing, but it looks like it will be enough to justify a sequel to the reboot. The big question now is whether or not Feig and the whole cast will return for it.