In an industry hellbent on rebooting, remaking, spinning off and repackaging toys, comic books, TV shows and more, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the rare example of guys who make whatever they touch fresh, creative and hugely entertaining. On paper, it was hard to see what “21 Jump Street” could become, but in execution Lord and Miller created a ludicrously hilarious buddy movie. And in “The Lego Movie,” the pair used the framework of a toy movie for a subversive, wildly inventive adventure infused with pure imagination. And everything they’ve touched (including “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs“) has been a smash at the box office. So, who ya gonna call for “Ghostbusters 3“?
According to Nikki Finke, the pair are in talks to direct the forever-developing sequel, replacing Ivan Reitman who recently pulled himself from the gig. And certainly, one just has to read the opening paragraph to understand why Sony—where the duo made “21 Jump Street” and the forthcoming “22 Jump Street“—wants these guys. It would be a massive jolt of energy to “Ghostbusters 3,” which has been sagging in the development chain forever, and would certainly bring a fresh perspective to the sequel.
But there are a couple of things to consider. Firstly, even though Sony is aiming to start shooting in early 2015, we’d wager that Lord and Miller will want to take a crack at Etan Cohen‘s script and put it more in line with their sensibilities. And that would mean yet another round of writing, which would probably mean getting Reitman and Dan Aykroyd to sign off on it again. That process could delay things, or perhaps be something Lord and Miller aren’t interested in. Moreover, after the smash hit “The Lego Movie,” is the next career move these guys want to make a sequel to something they didn’t even start? They probably can get any wacky idea they have up their sleeve made at this point, though perhaps this gig could help them leverage financing for a passion project.
Lots to consider, but this writer would rather than see Lord and Miller take on an original gig rather than a sequel we don’t really need. [via Digital Spy]