GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) Director Paul Feig On The Reboot's Negative Reception: "So Many Were Trump Supporters"

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) Director Paul Feig On The Reboot's Negative Reception: "So Many Were Trump Supporters"

Paul Feig has reflected on the overall negative reception to his 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, and he believes a lot of people made their minds up about the movie well before seeing it...

By MarkCassidy - Sep 30, 2024 01:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Ghostbusters
Source: Via FearHQ

When the news first broke that an all-female Ghostbusters reboot was in the works that would completely disregard the previous movies and establish a brand-new continuity without the iconic members of the original team, there was, not too surprisingly, a lot of backlash.

While some of the responses were just flat out misogynistic rants, the biggest issue for a lot of fans was that they weren't getting a direct sequel with Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore (Egon Spengler actor Harold Ramis had passed by this stage).

Even so, many people were willing to give the movie a chance... until they saw it.

Ghostbusters 2016 was far from an unmitigated disaster, but a solid first act soon gave way to tired gags, pointless cameos, and a ridiculous ending that really just served as a retread of the original. Reviews were decent all the same (74% on Rotten Tomatoes), and there is a perception that the film's box office underperformance was largely down to the intensely negative reception that greeted it before it even hit theaters.

While speaking to The Guardian, director Paul Feig reflected on the movie's release.

"Bill [Murray] had publicly said he didn’t want to do another Ghostbusters at that point," Feig responded when asked why he decided to make a movie without the original characters. "Harold Ramis had died. Dan [Aykroyd] and Ernie [Hudson] were there, but half the team felt weird. It had been 30 years and Bill and the gang were so iconic; I didn’t want to do anything that hurt the original movies."

"The political climate of the time was really weird, with Hillary Clinton running for office in 2016," he went on. "There were a lot of dudes looking for a fight. When I was getting piled on, on Twitter, I’d go back and see who they were. So many were Trump supporters. Then Trump came out against us. He was like: 'They’re remaking Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford. You can’t do that. And now they’re making Ghostbusters with only women. What’s going on?' and got all upset. Everybody went [frick]ing cannibal. It turned the movie into a political statement, as if to say: “If you’re pro-women, you’re going to go see this. If you’re not, then …” I didn’t think it mattered at all that the main characters were women, but people brought a lot of baggage."

Whether you happen to agree with Feig's perspective or not, it's difficult to argue that the movie did have the odds stacked against it from the start.

 A direct sequel to Ghostbusters 2, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, was released in 2021 and was more successful despite worse reviews. Recent follow-up Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire also performed well at the box office, but has the lowest RT score of the franchise with 44%.

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Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/30/2024, 1:42 PM
As someone who hates Trump, no they weren’t.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/30/2024, 1:47 PM
@Ha1frican - i mean , there was some of that too I think

Maybe not to the extent he says since I’m sure they were some upset about them rebooting the franchise at all or not continuing the original series but the real vocal and toxic elements were those imo
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/30/2024, 2:08 PM
@Ha1frican - As somone who loves Trump...hmmm yes they were bro
Goldboink
Goldboink - 9/30/2024, 2:48 PM
@Malatrova15 -
We know better...
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/30/2024, 4:00 PM
@Goldboink - well see...e joy your cat soup while you can...the party is over pal.
Goldboink
Goldboink - 9/30/2024, 4:07 PM
@Malatrova15 -

Good Dog...

User Comment Image
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/30/2024, 4:08 PM
@Goldboink - indeed..dogs will be safe again
Goldboink
Goldboink - 9/30/2024, 4:28 PM
@Malatrova15 -

Make Tacos Safe Again!
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/30/2024, 7:13 PM
@TheVisionary25 - I mean I’m sure there was some crossover but this makes it seem like that was the driving force behind it which just wasn’t the case
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/30/2024, 7:22 PM
@Ha1frican - I can agree with that
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/30/2024, 8:01 PM
@Goldboink - safe as malk
Kleon1876
Kleon1876 - 9/30/2024, 8:04 PM
@Ha1frican - so funny that you choose to use the word “hate” while being a liberal all about that dei. I think that’s so hypocritical. I don’t “hate” Harris or biden, I just think they are incompetent and not fit for the job as they have proven over the past 4 years. You hate on a man you have never met in person…very biased of you. You should be more accepting and judge only based on your experiences and not what you see cut together on the media.

Also…feig is a loser and his crap of a movie is a dumpster fire. Nothing to do with them being chicks.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/30/2024, 8:07 PM
@Kleon1876 - I’m not a liberal I’m a leftist. They aren’t the same thing.
Pathogen
Pathogen - 9/30/2024, 8:08 PM
@Malatrova15 - Dude, the movie sucked donkey balls. Had nothing to do with Trump supporters, even knowing how idiotic they can be
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 9/30/2024, 9:13 PM
@Ha1frican -

User Comment Image

User Comment Image

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EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 9/30/2024, 10:32 PM
@Ha1frican - if a trump supporter are screaming that red car is red, I ain't going to get mad about it. This movie is really bad. It's improv comedy that just falls flat.
TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 9/30/2024, 10:41 PM
@Ha1frican - As someone who doesn't live in the dreamland of freedom that is United States of Murica, I don't care who they supported but they clearly did NOT support a trash movie.
BigPhilbowski
BigPhilbowski - 10/1/2024, 7:27 AM
@Kleon1876 - "I don’t “hate” Harris or biden, I just think they are incompetent and not fit for the job as they have proven over the past 4 years"

Yet you'll vote for a man who's done worse than them by literally every metric. Sure Jan
HermanM
HermanM - 9/30/2024, 1:43 PM
Cope. Your movie was trash. Trump or not.
DrDReturns
DrDReturns - 9/30/2024, 10:19 PM
@HermanM - As a Trump supporter, the movie sucked.
HermanM
HermanM - 9/30/2024, 10:21 PM
@DrDReturns - 👍👍
JFerguson
JFerguson - 9/30/2024, 1:45 PM
I’m not a trump supporter but this is an asinine, out-of-touch take. Grasping for straws at why his movie failed. Doesn’t recognize that he tarnished a beloved franchise and is willing to do it again.
SATW42
SATW42 - 9/30/2024, 1:46 PM
I mean, I know the obvious responses that are gunna come here, but he's just stating a fact of his personal experience. In my own personal experience, every person I knew who disliked the very idea of the movie also happened to be Trump guys.

If you don't think the Venn Diagram of Trump Supporters to People who didn't ask for a female lead Ghostbusters reboot is essentially a circle, I think you're being disineguous.

Also, that's not saying all Trump supporters didn't want this movie. It's saying that the people who didn't want it, also happened to be Trump supporters. There is a distinction there that shouldn't be seen as an attack.

Also, where's this Indiana Jones movie without Harrison Ford? Even doing an admittedly quick google search, all I'm seeing is Trumps comments. I don't remember any rumors about a Harrison Ford-less Indy movie.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/30/2024, 1:48 PM
@SATW42 - there were rumors going around with them rebooting Indy with Chris Pratt at the time.
Deklipz
Deklipz - 9/30/2024, 1:51 PM
@SATW42 - It was rumored for a bit at the time that Chris Pratt was going to be the new Indiana Jones.
SATW42
SATW42 - 9/30/2024, 2:15 PM
@TheVisionary25 - that was all fan casting, I can't find a single studio rumor or anything, just fans saying they thought hed be good for the role if they ever rebooted it, and Ford said absolutely not, he's Indy.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/30/2024, 2:19 PM
@SATW42 - I thought it was a rumor but I could be wrong

However some rumors are birn as that or wishful thinking so I’m not surprised someone like Trump though it would be real lol
Fogs
Fogs - 9/30/2024, 3:38 PM
@SATW42 - But that's what you and some people just don't get. Ot was never about a female Ghostbusters team, ffs. The movie was just baaaad.

Please don't call me a trump supporter, I'm not even american.
NathimusPrime
NathimusPrime - 10/1/2024, 4:22 AM
@TheVisionary25 - yeah i remember those.
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 1:46 PM
I dont like trump but the movie sucked

Also a lot of them liked Ghost Busters Afterlife which had a female lead and a more diverse cast than this crap fest
Kleon1876
Kleon1876 - 9/30/2024, 8:05 PM
@dracula - so you don’t like the United States. Copy that you Commie
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 10:21 PM
@Kleon1876 - Either you are joking or are ignorant as people say Trump supporters are

Trump is the guy who says he is going to be a dictator on day 1 and you wont have to vote after he is elected

He also talks about how good friends he is with actual commie leaders

He also wants to take the right to criticize public officials
JackBurton1
JackBurton1 - 9/30/2024, 1:46 PM
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 1:50 PM
Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel came out around the time

Both successful

Both’s sequels bombed

But one was simultaneously released on streaming

And the orher has multiple reasons
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/30/2024, 4:09 PM
@dracula - yes the reasons are mysogyny and backwards hatred
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 5:01 PM
@Malatrova15 - nah then the first and others wouldn't have been successful
Keja
Keja - 9/30/2024, 1:50 PM
Just admit you made a bad movie. Elizabeth Banks finally admitted she made a horrible movie with the Charley angel’s reboot. Paul Feig needs to understand you’re not going to make a good movie every single time. Just say that and move on.
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 1:52 PM
@Keja - finally admit it after failing to throw wonder woman and captain marvel under the bus
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 9/30/2024, 1:51 PM
The movie was awful. I'm not a Trump Supporter but the movie was awful. There is a reason movies perform poorly and it isn't always about politics.
dracula
dracula - 9/30/2024, 1:51 PM
Yet all the previous cast came back for 2 movies
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