One quick look at Paul Feig’s Twitter feed makes it pretty obvious the director of Bridesmaids and this year’s excellent Spy is feeling the heat – and we don’t mean his very funny 2013 take on the buddy cop movie with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock – over his forthcoming Ghostbusters remake.
Social media being a ruthlessly democratic phenomenon, big-name film-makers are increasingly finding themselves caught up in uncomfortable online conversations with fans ready to give them a tough ride. Joss Whedon found the going so uncomfortable in the wake of Avengers: Age of Ultron’s release that he has subsequently taken a break from Twitter.
Not blocking or deleting. I hear you all and appreciate all your input, good or bad. Thanks. https://t.co/pxZsWGeNyL
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 8, 2015
Feig’s response so far has been to furiously tweet images of various old school-style Ghostbusters props in an apparent attempt to win over fans. On 17 June, he posted this shot of some particularly rancid-looking slime to mark the start of shooting.
And ... action! #slimetimestartstomorrow pic.twitter.com/FBKCAP5zMs
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 17, 2015
Then, on 29 June, he posted a shot of the outfits that the spirit-spiting quartet of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon will be wearing this time around.
#whatyougonnawear pic.twitter.com/o5oyHeIaSx
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 29, 2015
A day later it was a beautifully retro proton pack, followed by an updated version explaining the science of the tool on 6 July.
#whatyougonnashoot pic.twitter.com/sGsYSgS1Io
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 30, 2015
#themoreyouknow pic.twitter.com/4t2wMtvC3q
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 6, 2015
Finally, on 8 July, it was this fabulous shot of the new “Ecto-1” Ghostbustermobile.
#whattheygonnadrive pic.twitter.com/bBLEhrfTEQ
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 8, 2015
Today, the internet has found some full shots of the new Ghostbusters in costume ...
Here are the first photos of the female #Ghostbusters in their uniforms!!! http://t.co/PXi9LQTPuo pic.twitter.com/Zb81yhN5iF
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) July 10, 2015
But (and more’s the pity) it looks as if fans of the original still can’t be won over. Earlier this week, Canadian Twitter user JΔЯED wrote: “Despite what you say, this movie is to appease the feminist types. Wouldn’t be any other reason to remake Ghostbusters.” Feig’s response is below.
Unless it was to feature the funniest people I know, male or female. Which was what the original did. #enough https://t.co/25ySsylxk5
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 9, 2015
That hashtag tells its own story about the director’s state of mind. It can presumably become pretty gruelling to be constantly reminded that a large body of people don’t want you to make a particular film every time you log into Twitter.
But the real pity here, as Feig makes clear, is that genuine Ghostbusters fans who oppose the very existence of the remake are rather missing the point. The new movie has the backing of all the surviving original Ghostbusters, even a suspiciously reluctant Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in the 1984 classic and its 1989 sequel. And it’s in very good hands indeed.
If there were an Oscar for best comedy, movies such as Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy would have been right up there in recent years. These are not films benefiting from some sort of Hollywood take on positive discrimination: they all feature the kind of laugh-out-loud moments of genius that other film-makers would happily enter into a pact with the comedy devil to be able to repeat. Think the superlative drunken bar scene in The Heat, the excruciating food-poisoning segue at the bridal store in Bridesmaids, or the killer denouement of Spy, in which Jason Statham’s arrogant but dim-witted secret agent flounces off by boat for a trip to some fancy Mediterranean port, only to discover moments later that his swanky speedboat is docked in a lake. There is ample reason to believe that with the same team on board, and the inherent awesomeness of the Ghostbusters template, we’re all going to be in for a treat.
Perhaps that’s why Feig keeps tweeting old-school-style shots from the set. He really wants fans to know that this is going to feel like a Ghostbusters movie: maybe not exactly the same as we might all remember, but one that’s in keeping with the 80s comedy’s enduring spirit.
