Dan Aykroyd lays out some sobering news on Ghostbusters 3

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The never-ending cycle of GHOSTBUSTERS news and rumors continues, but this time Dan Aykroyd is setting it straight. In an interview with The Telegraph, Aykroyd discusses the on again/off again project, especially the challenge of getting Bill Murray back in the brown jump suit. 

When asked if GHOSTBUSTERS 3 would ever materialize:

“I honestly don’t know. At this point it’s in suspended animation. The studio, the director Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis feel there must be a way to do it, but Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn’t want to be involved. He’s got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He’s into this life and living it. I know we’d have a lot of fun [but] I can’t be mad at him. He’s a friend first, a colleague second. We have a deep personal relationship that transcends business and he doesn’t want to know.”

Aykroyd has tussled with the idea of recasting Murray’s role of Dr. Peter Venkman and even toyed with the idea of bringing him back in a cameo as a ghost, but doubts Murray would approve:

“We’re not going to do a movie that exploits the franchise. The script has to be perfect. I’m the cheerleader, but I’m only one voice in the matter. It’s a surety that Bill Murray will not do the movie, however there is still interest from the studio.”

So, it looks like any hope of Murray returning to the franchise is gone.  Of course speculation will continue that exorbitant amounts of money or a “golden” script would lure him in, but none of the original cast are getting any younger.  At some point you just have to let it go.

However, Aykroyd seems exceptionally passionate about seeing it made, but the process in doing so may last longer than he does.  As usual, we’ll wait and see.