“Ghostbusters 3” Production Not Affected by Harold Ramis' Death

[Reefa]

The news of comedic genius Harold Ramis' death is beginning to sink in for people around Hollywood, and the realities of his passing are becoming apparent. The main question on everyone's lips at the moment is whether the tragic demise of the actor and director will, in any way, affect the production of “Ghostbusters 3.”

The Hollywood Reporter is saying that the script will be reworked so that Ramis' character won't be required to appear anymore. The movie was dealt a massive blow this week with Ramis' death, as all original characters from the “Ghostbusters” movies were supposed to make an appearance in the third installment.

While for Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd this isn't a problem, the third Ghosbuster, played by Harold Ramis, won't be able to make his scheduled appearance. His passing at the age of 69 due to complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis has reportedly left the writers scrambling to rework the script.

The sequel is billed to be directed by Ivan Reitman, and now the director is set to meet with Sony Studio bosses in order to work out how they are going to get over this tragic loss.

According to reports, all three of the original Ghostbusters were set to make cameo appearances in a symbolic scene that would have been viewed as a passing of the torch to a new generation of ghost fighting professionals.

Despite the studio downplaying his role in the project, the implications of Ramis' death are far more complicated, because the actor-writer-director had been the mastermind behind the two projects and held a first-dollar gross stake in the third film, along with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

With Ramis dead, those proceeds from the movie will more than likely go over to his estate, but it has yet to be determined what percentage and what stakes he will get. Insiders claim that there is added confusion because no deals have been signed so far.

The script is reported to be already pretty far along to allow filming to begin this year, but with this new development, the start date for the production process will likely be pushed back to 2015.

Speaking of this tragic event, the usually reticent Bill Murray said in a statement that his former collaborator “earned his keep on this planet. God bless him.” Dan Aykroyd also expressed his regret at the loss of Ramis, along with many other actors from the industry.

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[948bennett]

rest in peace buddy, sad news to read.