Phil Lord and Chris Miller share why they aren’t directing Ghostbusters 3

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

When we learned that directing duties for GHOSTBUSTERS 3 would be handled by someone other than Chris Miller and Phil Lord, a little bit of excitement I had left for the forever in development sequel went out of me. Lord and Miller have proven they have a great sense of humor with the CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS films, the meta-referential 21 and 22 JUMP STREET, and the brilliantly unique THE LEGO MOVIE. The rationale at that time was they wanted to keep their options open, but now we have a more specific reason for their passing.

In an interview with ScreenCrush, the directors were asked why they passed on the project.

Right now, we’re just super tired and we want to take a break. We’re doing a TV show with Will Forte. So, we don’t really know what we’re gonna do next, we just know we can’t jump into another movie like that right away.

At this time, the duo do not have another directorial project lined up. Both sequels to CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and THE LEGO MOVIE are being delegated to other filmmakers while Lord and Miller produce. GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is being lined up to begin production sooner rather than later, so the guys may be honestly not ready to direct something if they cannot give it their all.

But, do they think it is even feasible to make a GHOSTBUSTERS 3 this long after the original films and without the original cast?

I think that there’s a good GHOSTBUSTERS movie out there. It’s such a fun franchise. Obviously, we don’t have the same attitude as people who hate stuff before it’s even made. It’s a fun idea and it’s a fun world and I think it will work.

GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is a movie that everyone wants in theory but most of the comments online seem to be to the contrary. There is room for making a good movie using the same story and model, but maybe a direct sequel is not the best idea. I hate to say it, but maybe a reboot is the way to go. I guess it all comes down to writers, directors, and cast, of which we have none.