Casting the All-Female Ghostbusters Reboot

Earlier this week, director Paul Feig confirmed via Twitter that he has officially signed on to helm the long-rumored Ghostbusters sequel/reboot. Feig has been involved with a number of great comedies over the last 15 years, having written for or directed episodes of shows such as Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and Parks and Rec. But he is probably best known for two recent box office hits — Bridesmaids and The Heat — both of which were anchored by amazing comedic performances from some of the funniest women in Hollywood, including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Sandra Bullock.

Feig confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he is indeed looking to shape the new movie around a strong female cast who will take the Ghostbusting reigns from the comedy legends who starred in the original films — Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Feig said he isn’t necessarily looking to recast the original character “types,” meaning there won’t necessarily be a wise-cracking Peter Venkman, a fast-talking Ray Stantz, and a nerd-with-swagger Egon Spengler, but you have to think he won’t stray too far from the dynamic that made Ghostbusters the kind of movie that people still worship three decades after it hit theaters. With that in mind, here are some actresses that are more than capable of strapping on the proton packs and battling the things that go bump in the night.

 

The Venkman

A role made famous by the great Bill Murray, Dr. Peter Venkman was the smarmy center of the original cast. Even if Feig decides to head in a different direction, it seems likely that he’ll need a solid lead at the heart of his cast. Sandra Bullock has the chops to do the heavy-lifting required as the head of the ‘Busters, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Feig recruit her to top-line the cast. But I would love to see Rose Byrne in this role. She was part of Feig’s all-star Bridesmaids cast, and her recent work in Neighbors proved that she has all the comedic tools needed to carry a big-budget film. A Venkman-ish role in what is sure to be one of the most high-profile films of the next few years would catapult her into superstardom.

 

The Stantz

It’s hard not to see Melissa McCarthy in this role. Feig is obviously a huge fan of hers, and she seems perfect for the role of the ‘Buster who is fascinated by the supernatural but also kind of terrified by it. McCarthy has shown she is a master of physical comedy, and a role similar to Aykroyd’s Stantz would give her the opportunity to showcase her intellectual side.

 

The Spengler

I can’t imagine Feig won’t want to include Kristen Wiig in this cast, and she could probably nail any of these roles. I think she’d be especially intriguing in the Egon role, as her faux-sheepishness lends itself well to the role of the nerdy ‘Buster. That said, Feig has said there are a lot of directions he could go with this cast, and if he decides to venture outside of the pool of actresses with whom he’s worked on previous projects, I think Ilana Glazer would be an inspired choice to don the Spengler-specs. Glazer is best known as one-half of Broad City, the web series turned Comedy Central hit that is probably the funniest show on TV right now. She’s displayed many of the skills that Feig seems to enjoy, most notably the ability to bro-down and be as raunchy and hilarious as any dude, while still completely embracing her powerful feminine side. Glazer is a long-shot to land a role like this, but I’ll be damned if she wouldn’t be an A+ addition to this cast.

 

The Zeddmore

The fourth Ghostbuster is essentially “the other guy.” Ernie Hudson played Winston Zeddmore in the original films, enjoying an expanded role in Ghostbusters II. As Feig looks to round out his cast, this could be a great role for a lesser known actress or up-and-coming comedian. If he really wants to think outside of the box, I’d suggest he look in the direction of Milana Vayntrub. Vayntrub is probably best known for currently popping up 100 times a day as Lily, the AT&T store employee in the company’s current wave of TV commercials. She’s had small roles in some well-known shows, including Silicon Valley, Californication, The League, and House of Lies, but she’s honed her comedic skills on the internet, appearing in several CollegeHumor shorts and starring in several popular web series. My favorite is “Live Prude Girls”, one of the best examples of “cringe humor” you’ll ever see (there’s some NSFW language in this clip, so earphones up!):

 

 

The Love Interest

Look, there’s gonna be a love interest. Maybe even more than one. The ‘Busters will definitely be tasked with saving New York and/or the entire world, but this is going to be a big Hollywood movie so the stakes MUST be raised by putting a love interest in peril! Justin Theroux is currently sulking and yelling his way through HBO’s The Leftovers, but he’s proven he’s a capable comedic actor with roles in Wanderlust and a multi-episode arc on Parks and Rec. And if you ask me, Ken Marino of The State fame is one of the funniest dudes on the planet and has a fantastic head of hair. He’d be the perfect choice to play an overtly cocky stud who completely withers when a bunch of ghouls traps him in a New York high rise. Take your pick. You really can’t go wrong with either.

 

Look at that cast and tell me you wouldn’t see that movie! That’s a billion dollar cast right there, Paul Feig!

What say you, loyal readers? Who would YOU like to see cast in a new Ghostbusters movie? Leave your dream cast in the comments below or get at me on Twitter.

 

@TheSEShepherd