For a long time, the lack of interest from Bill Murray was one of the impediments to a continuation of the beloved Ghostbusters franchise actually happening, before the actor finally relented and had a cameo in the 2016 reboot of the property. But with a secretive new movie set in the continuity of the first two Ghostbusters films on the way, we are again left to wonder if Murray’s Dr. Peter Venkman will return. Addressing why he came back for the reboot, Bill Murray provided some hope on the matter when he said:
I was in that movie just because they asked me, and I knew if I said no, I was saying I didn’t support that movie. I felt like, OK, I’m going to support them because I support them as people. So I did that one and I would do this next one.
Bill Murray’s friendship with fellow SNL alums Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy is what compelled him to finally return to the Ghostbusters franchise. He wanted to support his friends and the biggest support and vote of confidence he could give them was to be in the Ghostbusters reboot when he was asked. Yet, even though the new Ghostbusters movie will not feature those actors, Bill Murray is still down to return, as he told IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival.
You hear that Jason Reitman? That’s the sound of legions of Ghostbusters fans telling you to pick up the phone and call Bill Murray. The actor broke the seal with his appearance in Paul Feig’s reboot and isn’t as staunchly against participating in the franchise as he once was. On the contrary, he seems quite open to the possibility of returning for the secretive continuation of the series from original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman’s son Jason.
It’s an encouraging response because Bill Murray could have easily just said that he wasn’t interested or equivocated on the topic, but instead he said quite plainly that he would be willing to do the next Ghostbusters movie. Maybe all he needs is to be asked and to see a good script.
Despite Bill Murray’s aversion to working with Sony and in big Hollywood studio movies, likely contributors to his longstanding reticence to return, he still has great affection for the Ghostbusters franchise, as he explained:
This franchise paid for my son’s college. We made this thing. We are the caretakers of it. It’s a great thing and it was a really fun movie to make. It’s a real movie with some really funny stuff in it.
Bill Murray knows how important Ghostbusters was to his career and it’s something that he had a good time making. He also has an appreciation for the enduring nature of the franchise and how important it is to people. The actor also seems to feel some responsibility as a steward of the franchise to take care of it and perhaps that is part of why he has no problem returning for this new movie.
Bill Murray isn’t the only one of the original Ghostbusters willing to be a part of the 2020 film either. Although Harold Ramis sadly passed away in 2014, both Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have expressed excitement about the new film and presumably a willingness to participate.
We’ll have to wait and see if any of the original Ghostbusters do return. If they do, they’ll be joined by the new actors who have already been cast, including McKenna Grace, Carrie Coon and hitting for a nostalgia trifecta, Stranger Things and IT actor Finn Wolfhard.
Plot details are nonexistent at this point, but this new, untitled Ghostbusters movie will be set in the same continuity as the original 80s movies. So here’s hoping that Bill Murray and the rest of the OG team return in some capacity for a movie that comes as close as possible to the untouchable original.
The untitled Ghostbusters movie hits theaters on July 10, 2020. For movies arriving just a bit sooner, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.
