Columbia wants younger director for Ghostbusters 3?

Posted by GhostbustersNews on March 17th, 2010

New York Magazine is reporting that Columbia may want someone younger to fill the shoes of director Ivan Reitman if Ghostbusters 3 ever rolls around. The article goes on to talk about the possibility of Reitman making the third installment nearly impossible for the studio to make the film without him.

While we can’t validate any news sources aside from New York Magazine, they have been one of the more reliable sources in past years.

Columbia’s plan to reboot Ghostbusters is being haunted by a Mike Ovitz–orchestrated deal made in the early eighties on behalf of the series’ original director-producer, Ivan Reitman. The studio’s strategy is to revitalize the franchise for next year by having the original ‘busters train a dramatically younger crew in Ghostbusters III, while a correspondingly younger director handles things behind the camera. However, Reitman’s old contract — made at the height of his and Ovitz’s powers — still gives him exceptional creative control over the series, including director approval. “Those deals were made in the eighties,” explains one insider. “So his rights in this circumstance have a great deal of teeth.” Therefore, while it’s true that Reitman can’t force Columbia to make Ghostbusters III with him, he can make it nearly impossible for the studio to make the film without him.

You can read the complete article here.