Ghostbusters: Aykroyd Blames Director for Reboot's Box Office Failure

CBR

By Anthony Couto

Published Jun 4, 2017

Original Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd slams Paul Feig for not listening to Sony enough, and spending too much money on his reboot overall.

Original Ghostbusters star and co-writer Dan Aykroyd is now on the record trashing the director of the film's all-female reboot, Paul Feig, suggesting that he's to blame for the comedy flick's less-than-stellar box office returns domestically and worldwide. Aykroyd's comments are contradictory to his praise for the film when it initially released in 2016.

In an interview with the UK's Sunday Brunch (via Twitter), Aykroyd offered some thoughts on the Ghostbusters reboot, which is unlikely to get a sequel. Aykroyd openly criticized Feig for his inability to listen to Sony's feedback, which he believes resulted in a series of lengthy reshoots that cost the studio approximately $40 million.

[Ghostbusters] 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. 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.

Aykroyd's comments about Feig were reportedly edited out of the episode's re-airing. Besides his gripes, Aykroyd spoke positively about the film's cast in the interview, singing praises for his fellow Saturday Night Live alumni.

Directed by Paul Feig, and from a script by Feig and Katie Dippold, Ghostbusters stars Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. It is currently available for purchase on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD.