Bill Murray says that he’d be willing to suit up for another Ghostbusters

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

While cruising the Cannes Film Festival scene in support of Jim Jarmusch's THE DEAD DON'T DIE, a social satire zombie comedy in which Bill Murray plays one of the film's lead law enforcement officials, the random party crasher and former Ghostbuster proclaimed that he'd be willing to return to the beloved supernatural franchise, on account of having a deep and abiding respect for the family-friendly property.

“This franchise paid for my son’s college,” Murray remarked to Eric Kohn of IndieWire. “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.” Be that as it may, Murray did confess that much of his Ghostbuster love stems from the meaningful relationships he'd developed with the film's original cast. “They’re wonderful people,” he said. “Danny [Ackroyd], Ernie [Hudson], Harold [Ramis], Rick Moranis, Annie Potts — they’re some of the coolest people and they had real careers. They treat people well. They really understand what it is to be a movie actor. It’s a complete collaboration.”

Murray also ruminated on the arrangement he's had with the studio as well as the push and pull of being asked to participate in various Ghostbuster-related projects throughout the years:

“The relationship you have with those people as collaborators is not necessarily the relationship I have with Sony,” the LOST IN TRANSLATION alum explained. “For years, they said, ‘We can’t make another “Ghostbusters” because Bill Murray won’t change the deal he made in 1984.’ Well, no, I never did. And you know what? They made the movie. You’re the new guys, I’m the old guy. It was good enough for the other people so it’s going to have to be good enough for you.”

While Murray aludes to the idea of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks, he did eventually decide to join the cast of Paul Feig's female-led GHOSTBUSTERS reboot, a divisive installment of the franchise that left many fans feeling as if everything was ruined forever. It is true that Murray had been reluctant to strap on a proton pack for a number of years, but after hearing that comedy heavy-hitters Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy were involved, the CADDYSHACK actor agreed to appear in the film, but not as the legendary paranormal investigator, Peter Venkman.

“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,” said Murray. “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.”

As their talk continued, Murray touched on the sinister nature of today's Hollywood dealings, and how he thinkgs that Twitter stats inform much of our contemporary castings for tentpole projects:

“The big studio movies now have their own computer-generated way of doing things and formula that they use,” Murray suggested. “I think they really do crunch the numbers of how many Twitter followers we have, and all that stuff. I think that actually is a factor, but since I have no Twitter followers, I’m not a bankable person in their world. I’m a big negative on a movie.”

I don't know about you, but I'd take Bill Murray over any of today's hot YouTube personalities any day of the week. That being said, it's not my demographic's world anymore, and some of today's internet sensations could easily become the silver screen titans of tomorrow.

Of course, there's also the chance that Murray will join the cast of Jason Reitman's upcoming GHOSTBUSTERS film, a project that the director says will "give the franchise back to the fans of the original." 

The untitled Ghostbusters project will be co-written by Reitman and MONSTER HOUSE helmer Gil Kenan. Details about the film are very hush-hush at this time, though we do know that Carrie Coon (GONE GIRL, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR), McKenna Grace (CAPTAIN MARVEL, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE), and Finn Wolfhard (STRANGER THINGS, IT) are all confirmed to star. Furthermore, Reitman's GHOSTBUSTERS is scheduled to haunt theaters on July 10, 2020.

To read more about Murray's Ghostbuster thoughts, including a hilarious glimpse into the actor's thoughts of how the Hollywood machine truly churns, you can check out Indiewire's complete interview here.