“The studio gets really crazy about it,” Murray told Variety during a sit-down interview for this week’s cover story. “What they really want to do is resurrect a franchise. The first one was a spectacular movie, one of the greatest movies. The second one was”–Murray makes an unimpressed sound. “It had some moves. It had a few good scenes in it.”
Murray is one of the few actors in Hollywood who can’t be bought. “People say, ‘Bill, you could get so rich!'” Murray says. “I’m ok.” He looks down at his red pants and plastic watch. “I don’t look it, but I’m doing ok.”
Over the years, Murray has looked over several treatments for a third film. “I read one that Danny [Aykroyd] wrote that was crazy bizarre and too crazy to comprehend,” Murray says. And then there was the script where his character died and returned as a ghost. “It was kind of funny, but not well executed,” Murray says. Sony was interested, and director Ivan Reitman (who made the first two films) tried to get Murray onboard. “It was clear he just didn’t want to engage,” Reitman says. “His head was in a whole different place as an actor. He wanted to do smaller roles where he didn’t have to take on the weight of the lead.”
Aykroyd recalls a similar conversation with Murray. “He said to me, ‘I’ve done the character,'” Aykroyd says. “I totally understand. The studio knew in their hearts that without Murray there may be nothing there. Plus, ‘Ghostbusters’ needs a shot of youth. It’s got to be handed to the new generation.”
