Ghostbusters (2016 film)

Ghostbusters[1]
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Feig
Written by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Yeoman
Edited by
Music byTheodore Shapiro
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release dates
  • July 9, 2016 (2016-07-09) (TCL Chinese Theatre)
  • July 15, 2016 (2016-07-15) (United States)
Running time
116 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States[4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$144 million[5]
Box office$229 million[5]

Ghostbusters (also marketed as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call)[1] is a 2016 American supernatural comedy film directed by Paul Feig, who co-wrote it with Katie Dippold. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth, it is a reboot of the 1984 film of the same name and the third film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The story focuses on four eccentric women who start a ghost-catching business in New York City after a paranormal encounter.

A third Ghostbusters film had been in various stages of development following the release of Ghostbusters II in 1989. Because of original cast member Bill Murray's refusal to commit to the project, and the death of fellow cast member Harold Ramis in 2014,[6] Sony Pictures decided to reboot the series instead. Some of the original film's cast members and their family members make cameo appearances in new roles, and Ramis is commemorated in the film's closing credits. The announcement of the female-led cast in 2015 drew a polarized response from the public and an internet backlash,[7] leading to the film's IMDb page and associated YouTube videos receiving low ratings before the film's release.[8][9]

Ghostbusters premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9, 2016, and was released in the United States on July 15, by Sony Pictures Releasing.[10] The film grossed $229 million worldwide against a $144 million production budget, making it a box-office bomb with losses for the studio of over $70 million. Sony abandoned plans for a sequel,[11] opting instead to continue the original film canon with Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

  1. ^ a b Lussier, Germain (September 2016). "Nope, Ghostbusters Did Not Suddenly Get a New Title". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Peter Debruge (July 10, 2016). "'Ghostbusters': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "GHOSTBUSTERS (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. June 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "Ghostbusters (2016)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Ghostbusters (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Caro, Mark. "Harold Ramis, Chicago actor, writer and director, dead at 69". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  7. ^ Sharf, Zack (July 8, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Reboot Added New Scene As Reaction To Internet Backlash". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  8. ^ Hayes, Britt (July 11, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Haters Spam IMDb With Low Ratings". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  9. ^ Hickey, Walt (July 14, 2016). "'Ghostbusters' Is A Perfect Example Of How Internet Movie Ratings Are Broken". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. ^ Fritz, Ben (August 14, 2016). "Rising Box Office Masks Glut of Big-Budget Film Flops". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  11. ^ "Sequel to Ghostbusters Reboot Not Happening According To Director". University Herald. November 24, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.