It seems like we’ve been hearing rumors about a third Ghostbusters movie forever, so what’s the deal? Is it going to happen, with or without the participation of Bill Murray? Dan Aykroyd, the driving force behind the project, has told the British Telegraph that while he’s dying to make the movie, it may never happen. Confirming that Murray is, indeed, the main obstacle to a sequel, Aykroyd said, “At this point it’s in suspended animation. The studio, the director Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis feel there must be a way to do it, but Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn’t want to be involved. He’s got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He’s into this life and living it.” Still, he tells the paper that he isn’t angry at Murray: “He’s a friend first, a colleague second. We have a deep personal relationship that transcends business.”
Although Aykroyd has talked about wanting to keep the original cast intact, Ghostbusters purists may still have reason to worry. The paper reports that he’s considering recasting the role of Peter Venkman, but he’s clearly conflicted about that, too, maintaining, “We’re not going to do a movie that exploits the franchise.” Here’s hoping Aykroyd keeps his words. [via Slashfilm]