Movies
Ivan Reitman Pulls Breaks On ‘Ghostbusters’ Expanded Universe
Remember when Ivan Reitman told Deadline that they were building an expanded Ghostbusters universe in the vein of The Avengers? Now he’s backpedaling.
Yesterday Drew Pearce told MTV that he’s completed the sequel’s script, which was penned with both Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt in mind to star. Pearce also popped up on Twitter to clarify that his Ghostbusters team would be a mix of both male and female, while the Paul Feig-directed reboot features an all-female team (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon).
Now, Reitman is denying this script exists, and that there are plans for several sequels.
“There has been a lot of excitement recently about what is happening with the Ghostbusters franchise,” Reitman told BirthDeathMovies in an e-mail statement. “As the producer of the new Ghostbusters film, I feel the need to clarify. There is only one new Ghostbusters movie and that is the Paul Feig directed version coming next July, presently filming and going fantastically. The rest is just noise.”
Just noise? Well, here’s what he told Deadline back in March:
“We want to expand the Ghostbusters universe in ways that will include different films, TV shows, merchandise, all things that are part of modern filmed entertainment. This is a branded entertainment, a scary supernatural premise mixed with comedy. Paul Feig’s film will be the first version of that, shooting in June to come out in July 2016. He’s got four of the funniest women in the world, and there will be other surprises to come. The second film has a wonderful idea that builds on that. Drew [Pearce] will start writing and the hope is to be ready for the Russo Brothers’ next window next summer to shoot, with the movie coming out the following year. It’s just the beginning of what I hope will be a lot of wonderful movies.”
It’s rare to see a franchise this exposed with so much open chatter, which is why I think Reitman feels the need to jam hard on the breaks. The problem is, now he’s going through a windshield filled with lies and there’s shards of glass everywhere. I think the best thing they can all do is just shut up and finish Feig’s vision, which is set for release next summer.
In the wake of Backrooms and Obsession, everyone is prowling YouTube for horror shorts to adapt and horror filmmakers to scoop up, so don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of upcoming articles about YouTube success stories crossing over into theaters. One horror short that’s already been picked up for expansion is Dolly director Rod Blackhurst’s Alone Time.
The 12-minute short was uploaded in 2014 and has amassed nearly 2 million views at the time of this article being written, and Deadline reports that it’s getting a feature adaptation.
Witchcraft Motion Picture Company & Fever Dream will turn the viral short into a feature film.
Alone Time follows Ann Saunders, a young NY professional whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel following a devastating personal loss. “Seeking refuge from a collapsing relationship, a deteriorating family situation, and mounting emotional trauma, Ann reluctantly joins her closest friend on a remote camping trip deep in the Adirondack wilderness.”
The synopsis continues, “When her friend mysteriously disappears, Ann becomes convinced that an unseen figure is stalking her through the forest. What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psych.”
“Alone Time has quietly followed me for over a decade,” director Rod Blackhurst said in a statement. “What began as a short film about isolation and the weight of life now feels more relevant than ever. The original short found its audience organically online long before that was considered a legitimate path for filmmakers. Bringing it to life as a feature allows us to explore those themes on a much larger and more psychologically unsettling canvas.”
Blackhurst is directing the feature length expansion.
You can watch the original Alone Time short film below.