Sony had a lot riding on last year’s Ghostbusters reboot, hoping to launch a new shared universe based on the popular property. Those hopes were ultimately dashed with the movie making a modest $229 million, well below breaking even on its $140 million budget. Personally, I felt the movie was an unfunny rehash of what came before, and while I believe the studio will try again down the line (whether they should is another question entirely), that all-female reboot may no longer be the starting off point, and executive producer/original Ghostbuster Dan Ackroyd knows where the blame for the movie’s failure lies: director Paul Feig.
It all started civil enough. Appearing on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Aykroyd, who has previously gone on record as liking the reboot, was asked about the film’s box office performance, and he had nothing but nice things to say about the movie’s cast:
The girls are great in it. Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig – what wonderful, wonderful players they are – and Leslie Jones. I was really happy with the movie, but it cost too much. And Sony does not like to lose money, they don’t. It made a lot of money around the world but just cost too much, making it economically not feasible to do another one. So that’s too bad.
Then, with any provocation, he turned his attention to Feig, and that’s when the claws came out:
The director, he spent too much on it. He didn’t shoot scenes we suggested to him and several scenes that were going to be needed and he said ‘Nah, we don’t need them.’ Then we tested the movie and they needed them and he had to go back. About $30 to $40 million in reshoots. So he will not be back on the Sony lot any time soon.
The video hasn’t been made official, but British film critic Ross MacLean has tweeted a snippet of the interview, which you can find below. Check out Aykroyd’s face when he talks about Feig’s future with Sony. Do not ever cross this man.
It all started civil enough. Appearing on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Aykroyd, who has previously gone on record as liking the reboot, was asked about the film’s box office performance, and he had nothing but nice things to say about the movie’s cast:
The girls are great in it. Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig – what wonderful, wonderful players they are – and Leslie Jones. I was really happy with the movie, but it cost too much. And Sony does not like to lose money, they don’t. It made a lot of money around the world but just cost too much, making it economically not feasible to do another one. So that’s too bad.
Then, with any provocation, he turned his attention to Feig, and that’s when the claws came out:
The director, he spent too much on it. He didn’t shoot scenes we suggested to him and several scenes that were going to be needed and he said ‘Nah, we don’t need them.’ Then we tested the movie and they needed them and he had to go back. About $30 to $40 million in reshoots. So he will not be back on the Sony lot any time soon.
The video hasn’t been made official, but British film critic Ross MacLean has tweeted a snippet of the interview, which you can find below. Check out Aykroyd’s face when he talks about Feig’s future with Sony. Do not ever cross this man.
Don't hold back, Dan. #Ghostbusters pic.twitter.com/WtZ0MbRsmk— Ross Maclean (@ross_maclean) June 4, 2017
