Bill Murray jokes (knows?) the new Ghostbusters cast can never match the original

Human sacrifice! The original Ghostbusters and reboot characters living together! Mass hysteria! Ahead of the release of Frozen Empire, Bill Murray, who of course plays Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters franchise, has some thoughts about those carrying the proton pack…with his trademark snide, of course.

Sitting alongside Annie Potts (secretary Janine Melnitz) and Ernie Hudson (recruit Winston Zeddemore) in a promotional piece, Bill Murray joked, “This different generation, they are nice people, but they’re not as much fun as we are, you know that,” prompting him to roll his eyes and his co-stars to laugh.

Bill Murray has a rocky history with the Ghosbusters movies, but he has proven to be genuinely proud of how the franchise has developed, even after claiming he was duped into signing on for Ghostbusters II. Murray truly came around with 2021’s Afterlife, not only reprising Venkman for the first time since the 1989 sequel (he played an unrelated character in the 2016 reboot, as did a number of other ‘84/’89 stars) but championing Jason Reitman’s movie as an appropriate throwback to the original movies.

As per Sony, “In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.” The movie is due out on March 22nd, less than three months from the 40th anniversary of the first movie.

While it’s impossible to match the original Ghostbusters – Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Hudson and the late Harold Ramis – Afterlife did a fine enough job of at least paying tribute to that which came before it. Now, with Frozen Empire taking the action back to New York City after a detour in Oklahoma, this might be time for the ultimate tribute to the iconic busters of spooks, specters and ghosts.

Do you think the new Ghostbusters are properly carrying on the legacy of the original cast or has the series worn out its welcome? Give us your take below!