It's no secret that one of the major reasons why we never saw a GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is that Bill Murray wasn't keen on it. Hard to blame the guy, considering that the second film didn't live up to the first, but when you think about it, how do you follow up a classic? In any event, Murray was spotted in Boston visiting the set of Paul Feig's GHOSTBUSTERS, so it didn't take long to put two and two together. However, if Murray was so reluctant to return to the franchise, why cameo now? The man himself has answered that very question!
Bill Murray on filming his cameo for Paul Feig's GHOSTBUSTERS:
You know, they were incredibly nice to ask me, and I really enjoyed being there. They have such a jolly group, and they are going to have great success with this project. I didn’t want to overshadow or anything, and I feel really good about it. I like those girls a lot. I mean, I really do. They are tough to say no to. And Paul is a real nice fellow.
I thought about it for a very long time. Like, many, many months. No, that’s not right. I was seriously thinking about this for years, really. It kept eating at me, and I really respect those girls. And then I started to feel like if I didn’t do this movie, maybe somebody would write a bad review or something, thinking there was some sort of disapproval [on my part].
It's hard to oppose a cameo like this when Bill Murray took part in one of the greatest cameos of all time involving GHOSTBUSTERS (ZOMBIELAND, of course), but bringing each member back almost seems like it would be a little distracting. Obviously it's hard to comment without seeing the final product, but if Feig wants to do his own thing, it would just seem easier to leave the original team behind, especially if this takes place in a different universe. Cameo or not, it doesn't sound like this movie can "win" either way.
GHOSTBUSTERS hits theaters on July 22, 2016.
It's the stories about Bill Murray that make him legend.