The ‘Ghostbusters’ remake has a lot going for it, including, most obviously, that it’s a revamp of a beloved existing property with a built-in fan base. But the track record of director Paul Feig and his returning collaborators, stars Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig is also quite promising. Add to that, ‘Saturday Night Live’ rising stars Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon and beefcake in the form of Chris Hemsworth as the troupe’s receptionist plus the rumored return of Slimer and this one should be money in the bank.
One thing it doesn’t have, however is one of the biggest young stars in Hollywood, Emma Stone. Stone has made a name for herself with a well-balanced filmography of light comedies (‘Super Bad,’ ‘Easy A’) and respected dramas (‘The Help,’ Woody Allen’s ‘Magic In The Moonlight’), but one genre not to expect to see the titian beauty in anytime soon is another big budget franchise. And that goes for ‘Ghostbusters,’ which was offered to her, but that she declined!
As successful as most of her films have been (‘Birdman,’ with Michael Keaton, won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2014), to the general public, she is most recognizable for playing Gwen Stacy, the girlfriend of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ in the last two installments of the super hero series. She was rumored to be returning for another Spidey flick, but Sony decided to scrap their existing plans after ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ underperformed at the box office, freeing Stone to pursue other options.
Despite getting the endorsement from none other than Bill Murray, with whom she appeared in ‘Zombieland,’ Stone explained her decision to pass, stating:
“The script was really funny. It just didn’t feel like the right time for me. A franchise is a big commitment—it’s a whole thing. I think maybe I need a minute before I dive back into that water.”
Stone has already proven her acting chops and appeal to audiences and surely she doesn’t need the money. One really can’t fault her for following her instincts. Besides, any lack of enthusiasm for the movie would have likely negatively affected the finished product. It’s probably best for all parties that she has chosen to explore other options and left the busting to the four ladies that did sign on.
‘Ghostbusters’ opens on July 22, 2016. You can next catch Stone in the musical ‘La La Land’ opposite her ‘Crazy Stupid Love’ and ‘Gangster Squad’ co-star Ryan Gosling on July 15, 2016.
What do you think? Would you have liked to have seen what Stone could do as a ‘Ghostbuster’?
Source: Collider
