Cecily Strong Likely to Join Ghostbusters 3; Dan Aykroyd Says “More Conventional” Sequel Still Possible
Actually, it's about epics in ghost busting, Seth.
Goods news, SNL nerds! According to Film Divider, Paul Feig and Ghostbusters 3 writer Katie Dippold have “carved out a key supporting role” for cast member Cecily Strong.
Film Divider reports that although the former Weekend Update host isn’t officially signed on to the movie yet, her role will be
[…] one of the biggest non-Ghostbuster parts aside from the villain. She’s an authority figure who liaises with our heroines, privately backing their activities and acknowledging their legitimacy, but publicly denouncing the group to the media in order to avoid panic amongst the wider populous.
Hmmmm…
I see it.
Ghostbusters 3 may be bringing us New York’s first female mayor in addition to an all-lady busting team, but Dan Aykroyd says a “more conventional” Ghostbusters movie may also be in the near future for fans who can’t handle all this awesomeness. In a recent interview on Sirius XM, Aykroyd, who’s already given his blessing to Feig’s adaptation, explained:
Oh I’ve written… well, we have…I’ve written, well, there’s three drafts of the old concept that exists. And we’re going to be able to salvage some of it and use it. Yeah, we’re gonna be able to use it some day. Let’s get this one made and that will reinvigorate the franchise and then we’ll go on to maybe doing a more conventional third sequel as we were planning and another idea I have for it.
Considering the only historically “conventional” aspect of the Ghostbusters franchise might be that it was male-driven, could Aykroyd be hinting at getting some of the original cast back together? The actor went on to reiterate his support for the upcoming film:
I can tell you, as the originator, I’m very happy with what [Feig’s] done. It’s very tasteful. And it needed a reworking. The thing needed a new engine. You know? It needed new exhaust. It needed new steering. And this is what we’re getting.
[…] The real reality in fact of the third movie with this tremendous cast of women, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Kristen Wiig. . . I’ve got three daughters, so I’m all for female empowerment….[Feig] establishes the voices beautifully in these characters. Now of course, he’s got masters playing the roles for him, so this is going to really work in our favor for the third movie.
Although I sincerely believe Aykroyd is excited for Ghostbusters 3, I kind of stop taking men seriously when they use close relationships with individual women to justify why they’re “for female empowerment.” Shouldn’t you just, like, be a feminist because women are people, even if you don’t have a daughter/wife/great aunt? And besides, having a wife or female friends isn’t a “get out of dude-bro-jail free” card.
You’re trying really hard and I see that and love you for it, Dan Aykroyd, but continuing to support movies’ men-as-default tendency with all this talk of returning to “convention” is silly. Sure, I’d love to see some of the old Ghostbusters gang together again, but not because there’s any inherent virtue in reverting back to the comedy status quo.
Regardless, what do y’all think of this news? Excited for Strong to join the cast? Interested in seeing Aykroyd’s Ghostbusters 4?
(via /Film)
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