Who Ya Gonna Call?

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Who Ya Gonna Call?
Posted on Tuesday March 24, 2009, 17:46 by Nick de Semlyen

Like it or not, a new Ghostbusters movie is marching towards us like a giant, sailor-suited mallow-bastard from another dimension. At this point, all we have to go on is hearsay, rumours and evidence drawn from ouija-board seances, but it seems likely that GB3 will see the old gang training youngsters in the ways of the proton pack. “A big element is passing the torch onto a new generation of Ghostbusters,” Dan Aykroyd said recently. “It’s going to be Harold and me and Billy and Ernie training the new ones.”

This got me thinking. Who, if I had similar supernatural powers to Viggo (scourge of Carpathia, sorrow of Moldavia) and could manipulate the mind of Aykroyd and co., would I pick to fill the roles of this “new generation”? Here are my ideas; if you think I’ve got it completely wrong or have overlooked the perfect potential ‘Buster, leave a comment below. No this-man-has-no-dick insults, if you please.

Tracy Morgan
As any 30 Rock fan knows, Morgan perches right on the border between “loveably quirky” and “absolutely batshit demented”. He’s hilariously volatile and unpredictable enough when playing deluded TV star Tracy Jordan —give the man a piece of nuclear accelerative machinery that could potentially end the universe and you have guaranteed quality mayhem. Later this year he’s making his jump to the big screen by buddying up with Bruce Willis in Kevin Smith’s action comedy A Couple Of Dicks, so Ghostbusters 3 would be the perfect follow-up and vehicle for his livewire antics.

John Krasinski
Another TV star, this time from the American version of The Office. I see Krasinski playing the straight man to the madness, much as Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman used to deflate the earnest pronouncements of Ray and Egon with acid one-liners. Like Morgan, he’s an actor who’s loved by plenty of small-screen viewers but hasn’t had proper exposure at the multiplex. Something that might give him an advantage here is the fact that the writers of The Office are penning the Ghostbusters 3 script.

Paul Rudd
Judd Apatow’s production company has been linked to the new Ghostbusters sequel, though details remain fuzzy. If the modern-day Master of Mirth does prove to be involved, can we expect to see members of his repertory in major roles? Very possibly — Seth Rogen, Steve Carell, Jonah Hill or even Will Ferrell could end up holding the keys to the Ecto-Containment Unit, in the process irritating the hell out of one of Walter Peck’s descendants. We may even see McLovin as Egon Jr. But more than any of those, I’d like to see Paul Rudd taking on unruly spectres. He’s cool, sly, likeable and — crucially — was born in New Jersey, not too far from NY City. In my opinion, a New York attitude is a crucial part of the DNA of any potential ‘Buster.

Tiny Fey
And talking of which, who’s more New York than Fey? Adding a lady to the team would really shake things up, and this one has all the necessary attributes (biting sarcasm, an adorable nerdiness, Rick Moranis specs) to bring the Ghostbusters into the 21st century. She’s also an alumnus of Saturday Night Live, the show which three decades ago gave Aykroyd and Murray their big break.

Shia LaBeouf
We saw glimpses of his comedy chops in Transformers, so we’re guessing he’d be game for a properly silly film. Plus he’s used to interacting with CG creations, of which we’re sure there will be many in this movie, possesses a laidback scrappiness, and has the experience to hold his own against the older generation.