We’re finally getting Ghostbusters 3 next year, and you just know Dan Aykroyd has to be over the moon about that fact after trying to get some version of the film made for decades. But even that movie, as satisfying as it may be, might not mark the end of the franchise — or Ray Stantz’s involvement in it — as Aykroyd has revealed that he has written a very retro Ghostbusters prequel.
Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, is helming the upcoming Ghostbusters 3, but Aykroyd is hoping Reitman can keep the show going even after next summer. The former SNL star revealed to Canadian outlet 660 News that he’s already given the junior Reitman a script for a new Ghostbusters prequel that would follow Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Egon Spengler as high schoolers in the 1960s. Here’s how Aykroyd describes it:
I’ve written Ghostbusters High, where they meet in New Jersey in 1969, and we’re looking to do that as probably a glorified feature or pilot within the next maybe five years… And it would lead to a television project and I thought of [Reitman] immediately for that.
It’s on [Reitman’s] desk but that’s years away from the current project. But it’s a neat idea for a prequel. Imagine casting the three characters as teenagers!
It’s an intriguing idea, as it could show how the three founding Ghostbusters first developed their interest in the paranormal. But as interesting and fun as this project sounds, it sounds like it would be quite some time — if ever — before we ever got to see it. Aykroyd says there are already plans to produce other non-prequel Ghostbusters content post-Ghostbusters 3, so we probably shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves when it comes to trying to picture Venkman as a hippie high schooler.
Speaking of Ghostbusters 3, Aykroyd also discussed how the new movie plans to be successful, and it all comes down to scaling back the massive budget from 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot, which is believed to have lost money for the studio. “[The new film’s budget is] definitely going to be way under $100 (million). I would think. Movies cost a lot today. It can’t be $30 (million), $50 (million) would be stretching it. I don’t know. Listen, it’s going to be as little as we can spend,” Aykroyd said.
One way to keep costs down, according to Aykroyd, is by using as many old school practical effects as possible. “I’m always urging to use puppets. I’m always urging to go back to the mechanicals. But CGI is so efficient and easy to use but I think that all of us are on board with the idea of maybe doing mechanicals and puppets where we can,” he stated.
We may never see Ghostbusters High, but Ghostbusters 3 — or whatever it ends up being called — will hit theaters on July 10, 2020… possibly starring Bill Murray.
