Dan Aykroyd Wanted ‘Ghostbusters’ to Be Like the Marvel Universe
Ghostbusters has been one of the most popular and recognizable franchises since its 1984 debut. But series creator Dan Aykroyd revealed that he had far bigger plans for his paranormal team with the reboots.
Dan Aykroyd wanted ‘Ghostbusters’ to be the next Marvel franchise
Comic actor Aykroyd wasn’t just the star of the 1984 hit Ghostbusters, he originated the idea and penned the script for it as well. Although the version Aykroyd initially had in his head was a bit different than the version that made it to the big screen.
“My structure was different, definitely. Mr. Stay Puft, I think, made an earlier appearance, but my script was definitely really darker than the movie became,” Aykroyd once recalled to Gamespot. “But, you see, it didn’t have Bill Murray in it. It didn’t have Ramis. It didn’t have all the great input. That came afterwards.”
The final version of Aykroyd’s concept would spawn a successful franchise that included movies and television shows.
Years later, Aykroyd had high hopes for a potential Ghostbusters reboot. He believed future films had the potential to reach the kind of heights some of Hollywood’s most successful franchises already did.
“It’s beyond just another sequel, a prequel, another TV show,” Aykroyd once said according to Contact Music. “I’m thinking what does the whole brand mean to Sony? What does Pixar and Star Wars mean to Disney? What does Marvel mean to Fox?”
He especially looked at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how it utilized its own content. Aykroyd envisioned a scenario where Ghostbusters would have a universe just as versatile and vast.
“It’s up on blocks, it needs new electronics, new everything. That’s what we have to do. The whole vehicle of Ghostbusters has to be rebuilt. That’s the ambitious thinking that’s going on now. Taking on the model of Marvel where we take all of the elements that are in this movie and we put them out there as different ideas,” he said.
Dan Aykroyd slammed director Paul Feig for the ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot’
Ghostbusters attempted to make a comeback in 2016 with a reboot of the same name. This more modern version would round up a cast of all women to take the spirits down. The movie received backlash from a few fans who were upset with the casting decisions made for the flick. Still, critics gave it lukewarm to positive reviews, and it made decent money at the box office. But not enough to warrant a sequel, which Aykroyd felt was filmmaker Paul Feig’s fault.
“The director, he spent too much on it,” Aykroyd once told Britain’s Channel 4 (via Deadline). “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.”
Dan Aykroyd later settled his differences with 2016 ‘Ghostbusters’ director’
Whatever bad blood Aykroyd had with Paul Feig didn’t last long. In an interview on Joe Rogan, the Conehead star confided that he and the filmmaker settled differences after a meeting.
“Paul Feig and I, and Ivan, we had our little conflicts over things we didn’t think would work, why shoot it, why spend the money? But you know, he’s a director. We’ve got to have faith,” Aykroyd said. “So there was a little conflict there, and I’ve spoken about it before, but all that’s in the past. I love it, I think they’re all great in it. Really, he treated the movie with a tribute kind of legacy, respect, and there were some great new spirits in there. And the girls were great.”
