THE JOURNAL
Mses Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters, 2016. Photograph by Columbia Pictures
MR PORTER speaks to director Mr Paul Feig about his all-women remake of Ghostbusters.
When Mr Paul Feig decided to remake Ghostbusters, he took on a mammoth task. Reimagining a film of any kind is always going to be contentious, especially with its fans (and remakes are frequently unsuccessful). When you’re dealing with a cult classic, however, you risk the wrath of a different breed of devotee out to protect a precious piece of their childhood. But what if you decide to replace the male leads of your source material with women? Well, as Mr Feig found out, you’ve got the diehard sexists to deal with, too. And they’re a passionate bunch.
It’s difficult to know which camp was most influential in making the trailer for the new Ghostbusters – out in the UK today – the most disliked YouTube video in history. But, judging by the mostly positive reviews since the film has come out – Mr Feig can feel vindicated. Not that he needed justification. Whether it be director Mr Ivan Reitman or actor Mr Bill Murray, his remake has had the support and approval of the original Ghostbusters team from the outset. But how exactly did he pull it off? We ask him, below.
Director Mr Paul Feig and director of photography Mr Robert Yeoman on the set of Ghostbusters. Photograph by Columbia Pictures
So, was the female cast your idea?
“Yeah. We knew as soon as I announced it that it was controversial, which made no sense to me. It was never controversial with four men, but when four women do it it’s a ‘gimmick’. I find it pretty embarrassing in 2016. People also get very sensitive about remaking classic films. And that’s very valid. For a lot of people, this film has been in their lives since they were kids. All I can say is – go and see the movie. If you don’t like it then fair enough.”
Why is remaking a cult classic risky?
“You’re taking on a big thing – which is why I turned it down twice. This movie is part of the canon – it’s like re-writing the Bible or something. You don’t go into it lightly unless it’s a great idea. But Ghostbusters is an amazing vehicle for the funniest people working. That’s why the first one worked. The story is great but it’s really because of that cast.”
What’s the purpose of a remake?
“You need to celebrate the original a little, but it’s not to improve upon it. In the case of Ghostbusters, it felt criminal to leave a couple of movies from 30 years ago trapped in amber. Rebooting it makes it a separate thing with different characters – even though it’s under the same umbrella. We also get to play with the original story and some of the iconic things within it. Hopefully then it’ll be fun for fans of the original and for a new audience.”
Mr Chris Hemsworth and Ms Leslie Jones in Ghostbusters. Photograph by Columbia Pictures
Did you feel obliged to reference the original Ghostbusters?
“You’re not obligated to do anything, but if you want to make a classic, it’s at your own peril that you pretend the original movie didn’t exist. Me and Katie Dippold wrote the script together and we were both such big fans of the original. We sat down and said, ‘If we went to see this, what would we be sad not to see?’ We want to see the Ecto 1 and Slimer and Proton Packs. And then as far as cameos go – we thought it would be nice to see characters pop up, but not in a way they would overshadow the current characters.”
How was working with the original cast?
“The old team and the new team were so collaborative and excited to be working with each other. It was a complete love fest. Ivan [Reitman] would come to the set and he was involved in development and post production. Bill [Murray] and the rest of the gang were great. Having everyone involved was pretty major.”
What’s your favourite scene in the new film?
“There’s this fight scene between the Ghostbusters and all these ghosts in Times Square that I’m really proud of. I wanted to do a big action scene in which we could see these women really kick ass. Some people assume it’ll just be them breaking their nails. I wanted to subvert that. They’re going to get in there and mix it up in a way we haven’t seen before.”
What are your favourite remakes?
“What Chris Nolan did with Batman, and what Tim Burton did with it was brilliant. It’s a great idea which is based on a very specific character. A great idea can handle imaginations – like a great song can handle a whole bunch of versions.”