Legendary Pictures’ Spectral gets a new writer

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Last year we reported Legendary was moving forward with the high-concept ghostbusting action flick SPECTRAL. We haven’t heard much since then and sort of assumed the project was in development hell. Finally, there’s some signs of life returning to the proposed paranormal thriller as screenwriter Jayson Rothwell has been brought on to rewrite it.

Rothwell (whose credits include the Van Damme film SECOND IN COMMAND and the upcoming SILENT NIGHT) will be putting his own spin on Ian Fried’s previous draft. Not much is know about SPECTRAL, though industry buzz describes it as “GHOSTBUSTERS meets BLACK HAWK DOWN,” which sounds amazing.

Here’s the thing: if you take GHOSTBUSTERS and “meet it” with anything I am instantly interested. Though the concept of bustin’ spooks, specters, and slimers has been kicked around on film since the golden age of Hollywood, no one has ever raised the bar set by the original GHOSTBUSTERS. With the third film in that franchise in its own wishy-washy state I would love to see a serious take on spook extermination hit theaters. What say you, Schmoes? Would some action-oriented bustin’ make you feel good?