Director Paul Feig has explained in the past why his new version of the Ghostbusters is a reboot instead of a direct sequel: he and co-writer Katie Dippold didn’t like the idea of his characters simply being handed technology, and wanted to give them the chance to build it all themselves. Because of this, the movie takes place in a completely different universe than the original movies, and even features a handful of cameos from the cast in new roles. While it’s separate for now, however, that doesn’t mean that the door is closed forever, as Feig does have an interest in exploring the multiverse concept and potentially getting the old and new teams to eventually meet.
Having a personal love of all things multiverse-related, I asked Paul Feig about this idea late last year when I was visiting the set of Ghostbusters in Boston, Massachusetts along with a small group of other film journalists. Feig had explained to the group why they went with a reboot over making Ghostbusters 3, and I popped in with a question about the idea of seeing that line crossed and having the Kristen Wiig/Melissa McCarthy/Kate McKinnon/Leslie Jones characters get to meet Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz, and Ernie Hudson's Winson Zeddmore (Dr. Egon Spengler RIP). Feig seemed very open to the idea, saying that he loves that kind of thing and is happy to do it as long as it doesn’t get repetitive – and added that the idea is something that has been tossed around behind the scenes. Said the director,
I think they’re trying to figure out how to connect the old one with this. I’d like, if it’s a multiverse, something to base off this universe that we’re going right now.
For those unfamiliar with the multiverse concept, the idea is that there is actually an infinite number of realities in existence, all definitely different from the others either in hugely significant ways, or incredibly small ones (there is a universe where it took you two minutes to drink your coffee this morning, and another one where it took you two minutes and a full extra microsecond). If the two different Ghostbusters teams exist in separate realities, it’s entirely possible for the franchise to work some sci-fi magic, open up some kind of portal or gate between the two universes, and have the characters meet up for a big screen adventure.
Of course, all of this remains theoretical for now, as the focus of the Ghostbusters franchise seems to be entirely focused on the movie coming out this summer. If the film succeeds in being a hit, however, it’s entirely possible that the future could have some very cool big screen material in store.
Ghostbusters will be in theaters on July 15th, and be sure to stay tuned for a whole lot more of our coverage from the set!
