Ghostbusters Game Not Necessarily Ghostbusters 3

By Joe Fourhman | June 21, 2009

While the new Ghostbusters Video Game has been getting a lot of press about being accepted into canon as the official Ghostbusters 3, Harold “Egon” Ramis might like to remind us all that this is not necessarily the case.

In an interview in the latest issue of ToyFare (#144, August 2009), Ramis says that a true Ghostbusters 3 film is still quite possible. It is well known that Dan Aykroyd put together a movie script several years ago (the legendary “Ghostbusters Go To Hell” concept), but that script has been stuck in a different kind of hell as the various actors have been unable to come to terms on working further on it. In the interview, Ramis reveals that a different writing team (IE, not Ramis and Aykroyd) is currently working on a new take on Ghostbusters 3… but with the tacit approval of himself and Aykroyd. Quoth the Ramis:

“Where it stands now, I’ve kind of worked with them on hammering out a story, the studio has kind of signed off on our general premise and outline and [the new writing team is] taking a shot at the first draft. We’re very cautious. If it doesn’t look worthy, I don’t think anyone’s going to want to do it.”

The new writers are Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, who worked with Ramis on his recent Jack Black comedy, “Year One.”

In a nearby ToyFare interview with Ghostbusters game dev Terminal Reality, creative director Drew Haworth is quick to point out that the game “is in canon.” But the words of a game company probably won’t hold much water should a new, official movie take place. Not saying anybody is at all close to getting GB3 onto your local movie screens, just that a video game that seems to more or less live off of rehashing iconic events from the first two films will likely have little effect on standing as a major part of the franchise.

The good news is that we gamers could end up with both: a bang-up Ghostbusters game today and a new film iteration in the future. Just be aware that the oft-parroted claim as an official Ghostbusters 3 movie substitute is more marketing buzz than reality.