Deadline:
Every time one of the original Ghostbusters stars promotes a film, they answer the inevitable Ghostbusters III question that fuels a new round of breathless stories that turn out to be apparitions. Ivan Reitman, back as director thanks to his strong original Ghostbusters deal, is the latest to weigh in as he promotes his latest film No Strings Attached. He is getting more mileage telling reporters that Bill Murray doesn't hate the script than he is talking up the Natalie Portman-Ashton Kutcher sex romp. Here's what I hear: Reitman and Sony Pictures have no idea if the mercurial Murray will smile on the script they've just sent him. Without Murray, the studio absolutely will not make the film, which gives an extraordinary amount of leverage to a quirky actor who leaves financiers sweating until the moment he shows up on the set.
By doing it this way, the keep the fans happy that he is in a film, but also let him rub off onto a younger character. Thus fans see a new Murray in the younger character, and the franchise can carry on without the original crew.
Ghostbusters is a highly profitable namebrand, im suprised it took this long to do it.
Murray as Peter Venkman will be hard to duplicate.
I hope this one is better than Ghostbusters 2.