ghostbusters 3

By: Monika Bartyzel

Rocky, Rambo, Indy, all of the old icons are making their way to the big screen, and as we know, our favorite ghostbusters are hoping to head in that same direction. But rather than just jumping into the action, we learned back in March that this Ghostbusters sequel would have the old pros handing over the reigns and mentoring a new batch of ghost fighters. Now if Dan Aykroyd has his say, this will mean creating a larger new core team that will finally increase the female ghost-fighting power.

While talking with the LA Times about the particulars of the third film (he says Sigourney Weaver is in, as are the ectoplasmic specialists, and that he wants Harold Ramis to direct), Aykroyd said that he's pulling for a "new generation" ghostbusting team. This one would have five members, at least a few of whom are women. Specifically, he's hoping for Alyssa Milano (who lent her voice to the new game), and Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku. "I think they're amazing."

I get the feeling that they're trying to go for a more sleek ghosbusting feel, rather than simple comedy. Neither actress is a big name in the world of laughs, and both have their feet firmly planted in the supernatural fighting biz. So this becomes a bittersweet yay: women are entering the flock, but will we see some of that classic comedy go out the window as the story gets modernized? I like it when things get a little more slick, but please -- not too slick.

Are these the two women you'd like to see fighting the ghosts? Or, would you wish for a more comedic bent with someone like, say, Tina Fey? Who should be the lady ghostbusters?

It's one of those projects folks are approaching very carefully as if it were a bomb ready to go off. All of these guys -- Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman -- they know that if they're going to bring this franchise back, it'll have to be on their terms and it'll have to only happen if the script is stellar. It's been 20 years since the last Ghostbusters movie, and while a lot of us would certainly welcome another installment, we know what happened to Indiana Jones after 19 years away ... so, yeah, take your time, boys.

MTV recently got the chance to ask Harold Ramis for a status update on the sequel, and he confirmed that the old cast (Ramis, Murray, Aykroyd and probably Hudson) would be returning, but ... as Ramis notes, "We're all going to be in it in different kinds of roles. We're going to be the sage mentors. There are going to be young Ghostbusters." Yup, that confirms the mentor angle and the younger Ghostbusters -- who may or may not come from the Apatowverse -- but it's early and things can change; Ramis later adds that he's still waiting to see a first draft of the script, from Office (and Year One) writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who are consulting with Ramis, Reitman and Aykroyd as they go. As far as who'll direct the thing, Ramis said he and Reitman are kinda hoping "someone else will do it." Personally, I have a feeling it'll be either Ramis or Reitman who ends up helming, but I guess we'll see.

Are you excited for this version of Ghostbusters, with older, familiar faces mentoring the new recruits?