Thanks to the power of the internet, vocal fans have made clear their disdain for the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot from Paul Feig. Whether it's downvoting the film's first trailer on YouTube or leaving angry comments on each and every article pertaining to the new film starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, some fans can't stand the idea of a new, all-female Ghostbusters existing.
Original Ghostbusters (and Ghostbusters 2) director Ivan Reitman has a few things to say about that. In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Reitman opened up about why he believes the upcoming franchise reboot is gaining so much flak from fans. Reitman specifically speaks on the film's first trailer, a trailer that many found didn't get the point of the film across to viewers.
"There was no one-and-a-half-minute trailer that was going to stand up to that emotionally of what that experience was like," Reitman says. "It goes beyond how good or bad a movie is. It goes to kind of a life experience."
He elaborates by saying how important the original Ghostubsters movie is to so many people, claiming it to be responsible for the backlash against the reboot.
"[The backlash] surprised me a little bit, but then I realized many of the people who are writing were about eight or nine years old when the 1984 Ghostbusters movie came out," he says. "It was kind of a seminal moment in their lives. Look, it's a nice compliment to me, that the film has sort of held up for them as an important cinematic experience in their lives."
Reitman goes on to say that he's confident fans will be happy once they see the new film in its finished form, largely because of the talent of the four women in the leading roles.
"The most important thing is the four women are spectacular together," he says. "They're exactly at this point in their lives that my Ghostbusters were as well, in terms of their accomplishments. That's why I'm so confident in this screening that's coming up. When people see them together, all the questions get answered really quickly."
It remains to be seen how Ghostbusters will perform at the box office when it arrives July 15. Despite all the negative attention, the movie is sure to bring in strong crowds based on the name alone. However, will the movie be any good? Fans won't have to wait too much longer to find out. You can read more about the Ghostbusters reboot, and how, in many ways, it mimics the original film, here.
