- Title: 'Ghostbusters' cast and crew react to online criticism
- Date: 8th July 2016
- Summary: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 7, 2016) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR PAUL FEIG SAYING: "Men and women, there are differences and there's nothing worse than trying to slam a woman into a part that was written for a man and just have a woman act like a man, that doesn't work at all, but I just think it's just time for women to get to establish themselves in these big leading roles that are three-dimensional, that have foibles and they have vulnerability in a way that women aren't sometimes allowed to be shown, either they have to be shown as the shrew or they have to be shown as the perfect one, and why do guys get to be fully three-dimensional and women don't, so whatever it takes to even the playing field, that's what I'm for."
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2016 20:42
- Keywords: Leslie Jones Kate McKinnon Melissa McCarthy Paul Feig online criticism remake reboot Ghostbusters
- Location: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS; INTERNET; LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
- City: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS; INTERNET; LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0084PTWITP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The four lead actresses of "Ghostbusters" are out to prove that women can fight supernatural entities just as well as their male predecessors, playing the underdogs both in the film and in real life as the movie garners strong reactions ahead of its release.
"Ghostbusters" is based on the 1984 film of the same name that saw eccentric ghost hunters - played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson - save New York City from mass supernatural destruction.
The new film, out in theaters on July 15, follows a similar plot; the origin story of eccentric parapsychologists who battle ghosts wreaking havoc on Manhattan, this time with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.
The cast know a little something of being the underdogs. When the new "Ghostbusters" movie was announced, it garnered strong positive and negative reactions for its all-female cast; a point subtly referenced throughout the film.
The film's first trailer released in March divided audiences and garnered more than 900,000 dislikes, YouTube's most-disliked movie trailer.
"I did not respond well. I might have tweeted out my address to a couple of people to come see me," Jones said, adding that her costars "had to calm me down."
Fans of the original franchise may see some familiar faces - human and paranormal - pop up as cameos, as well as gadgets such as the Ecto-1 car and proton packs.
But the real nostalgia is reviving the chemistry of the original foursome, who became cult film heroes.
"I wanted to bring from the spirit of the old ones that even if you don't believe in us, we're going to do the right thing anyways," McCarthy said.
"I think that's why I love them so much, they're still saving everybody even though people aren't rooting for them."
Director Paul Feig, known for collaborating with McCarthy often in films such as "Spy," said "there's nothing worse than trying to slam a woman into a part that was written for a man," and instead wanted to provide a platform for the film's lead cast to showcase their skills.
"It's just time for women to get to establish themselves in these big leading roles that are three-dimensional, that have foibles and they have vulnerability in a way that women aren't sometimes allowed to be shown," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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