From the very beginning, Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot has been met with a pretty evenly matched field of praise and hate. So naturally, there's been a campaign to help try and improve the profile of next summer's would-be blockbuster, focusing solely on what makes this film different from its source material. As you'll see in the latest photo released from the set, the main ingredient in that difference is on full display, and in case you had any doubt, there's a banner spelling out that the secret ingredient to Paul Feig's Ghostbusters is girl power.
Taking to her official Twitter page, Melissa McCarthy shared the following photo with her fans:
You'll notice that McCarthy is specifically thanking "Ellen" in her post, and yes she's thanking the Ellen you automatically think of when you hear the name. Apparently, Ellen DeGeneres' new kids' clothing line is the inspiration for the photo, as the morning talk show host has gone on record as promoting girl power through her clothing line. Naturally, good news travels fast, and McCarthy and company felt it was the perfect time to throw their proton packs in the ring of social change.
With multiple studies reporting that women are having as tough a time as any making it big in show business, this sort of response is not only expected, it's extremely timely. With those on the more negative side of the spectrum decrying the Ghostbusters reboot as nothing more than a gimmick engineered to "even the scales," this photo serves as a reminder of why all involved are proud to call themselves a part of the Ghostbusters team.
It's also a good reminder of how much Paul Feig's films have done for female actors, as Ghostbusters has been a bit of a cause of triumph for those fighting for gender equality in the film industry. With a big-budget film employing so many female artists, and focusing around four female protagonists, Feig is once again looking to break down the stereotypes that fill a genre audiences are more familiar with. This sort of approach has worked for him in the past, with Bridesmaids and Spy raking in some serious coin. The brand recognition of Ghostbusters alone should be enough to draw audiences of the original back to the theaters, but where Feig is really going to win fans is with those ready to see a ragtag group of four women bust some ghosts in the name of New York!
Ghostbusters opens on July 15, 2016; which puts it in direct competition with Damian Chazelle's La La Land, as well as a week after Star Trek Beyond opens.
