Dan Aykroyd has been a part of the Ghostbusters reboot from the very beginning, on-board as an executive producer as well as a representative from the old guard. What you probably don't know, however, is that there was a time when he actually had a significant role to play in the movie, but it was axed because his scene weighed on the movie's pacing.
I had the pleasure of sitting down for a one-on-one chat with Ghostbusters co-writer/co-producer Katie Dippold earlier this week at the movie's press day in Los Angeles, and Dan Aykroyd's role that wasn't meant to be was amongst the interesting tidbits that she told me about the production of the film. While discussing the involvement of the members of the original Ghostbusters team, Dippold explained what the part would have been, and why it didn't make it into the theatrical cut. Said Dippold,
There's actually another scene for Dan Aykroyd that was a spiritual advisor named Rick Gale, but then, at that point in the story, it felt like it was too much for this late in the story, so we had to take that out, which is a bummer.
This isn't a terribly uncommon thing in Paul Feig-directed movies. The filmmaker is known for getting a lot of material, and picking from the best stuff and the stuff that works to build the version of the film that goes to theaters. That being said, his movies almost always have an extended or unrated versions released on home video, and we expect Ghostbusters will continue the trend.
Before I continue...
SPOILER ALERT: From this point forward, there are very minor spoilers about the new Ghostbusters movie. If you absolutely have to see the film knowing nothing beforehand, you can stop reading here and click away to another one of our wonderful articles!
For the rest of you still here, it's worth noting that Dan Aykroyd doesn't play a guy named Rick Gale in the movie, but as we've previously seen in a TV spot for the blockbuster, he does still have a cameo in the film. As all kinds of ghost-related chaos is going on, he plays a taxi driver who encounters Kristin Wiig's Erin Gilbert. She warns him about the paranormal goings-on, and he retorts with a classic lyric from the original theme song.
You'll be able to see it all for yourself in just a short time, as Ghostbusters will be in theaters on July 15th. That means that you should pay very close attention to the site over the next week, because we have plenty more coverage from interviews with the cast and filmmakers coming your way!
