As a director, most of Paul Feig's movies have been comprised of original ideas, from following the ladies of Bridesmaids to pitting Melissa McCarthy against sinister forces in Spy. We can only use the word 'most' rather than 'all,' because last month, he released Ghostbusters, the female-led remake of the 1984 classic. Despite the controversy that's surrounded the movie for more than a year, it's managed to do well for itself commercially and earn a decent amount of good reviews. For Feig, though, it will be his last time handling an existing property.
When asked by The Huffington Post whether he'll ever consider remaking/rebooting a classic movie, Feig assured the interviewer that won't be happening again, saying he'll be sticking with original material from now on. As for why he chose Ghostbusters to break the trend, he said:
This one was just too tempting because I knew we could do something with it that was exciting.
So if you were thinking about if Paul Feig would one day helm a reboot of the Naked Gun series or tackle a new version of Smokey and the Bandit, sorry, that's not going to happen. (Plus, let's be real, those movies should never be redone by anyone.) Although he got his start as an actor, he's made a name for himself as a director not just in the world of movies, but also on various TV shows, like Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Arrested Development and Nurse Jackie. Ghostbusters was his first time overseeing something that put its own spin on existing material, and it sounds like doing that once was enough for him. No doubt the vocal detractors against the new Ghostbusters (whether they didn't want to see women busting those ghosts, didn't care for the humor or some other reason) made Feig realize just how tricky these remake and reboot waters are to navigate. Whatever your intentions are, there are always going to be some who don't care for how you're reimagining and tinkering with their beloved property.
Despite all the outcry and hate, Feig noted that the new Ghostbusters has managed to be a positive influence among young girls, which is reward enough for him. As he put it:
It's such a validation for the years of false controversy.
There's been talk about the Ghostbusters remake getting a sequel, but Paul Feig's comments indicate that he won't direct it should it get greenlit. However, that doesn't mean he won't be involved. He could still serve as producer, and depending on how much he enjoyed writing the first movie, maybe he would be game to pen the follow-up.
Ghostbusters is still playing in theaters, and Paul Feig's next project is the animated Blue Sky movie Ferdinand.
