According to HitFix, with the cast of the all-female
Ghostbusters is set; they're now confident to share details on the plot and potential casting for other roles in the film. Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live), and Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) are not simply playing new versions of Spengler, Stantz, Zeddmore and Venkman. Instead, this will be a complete remake, with no connection to the original
Ghostbusters films as Sony would like original
Ghostbuster Bill Murray to play the villain. Here's a rundown of additional details on the remake.
+Kristen Wiig is playing Erin Garber, a published author on the subject of the paranormal. Erin now works for Columbia University.
+Leslie Jones is playing Abby Bergman, who co-authored the book with Garber. Since publication, the two former colleagues had a falling out and went their separate ways. Abby more actively chases ghost a la Ghost Hunters. This tension between academic investigation (Wiig's character) and mainstream media investigation (Jones' character) is central to the story.
+Kate McKinnon is playing Abby Berman's new partner, Jillian.
+Melissa McCarthy is playing Patty, an NYC subway worker who stumbles across the main, supernatural threat in the film.
+Sony wants Peter Dinklage to play the main villain in the film. Whether this role is as a ghost or human is unclear.
+Sony also wants Bill Murray to play a character named Martin Heiss, a man who is "a professional supernatural debunker who is out to prove that the Ghostbusters are frauds."
While the all-female Ghostbusters film is meant to be something new, there's obviously acknowledgement to the original film and original characters - there's an academic, an everyman (or everywoman in this case) who gets wrapped up in the paranormal adventure and connections to Columbia University. However, if this rumor proves true and Sony is able to land Murray and Dinklage, expect a much more contemporary and comprehensive explanation of how the team forms, where the logo comes from, etc.
The Ghostbusters remake is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 22, 2016.