Image: People Magazine
Fans are divided in their responses to the upcoming reboot of sci-fi epic Ghostbusters, starring a totally boss all-female cast. Melissa McCarthy, one of the film’s leads, shared this picture from the set on her Instagram, uniting ladies everywhere but alienating others.
The film undoubtedly represents an important milestone for Hollywood and for women in the film industry, and not just the actors – props, stunts, and writers are all represented in McCarthy’s photograph. But as exciting as the project is, many fans are soured on it: some because they simply don’t want the movie to be remade, they’re concerned about how much like the original the reboot will be, and some just don’t like that the cast is all women.
Bustle compiled a list of users tweeting in opposition to the film’s casting from tons of Twitter accounts. Even a quick scan of the Ghostbusters hashtag reveals that the sentiment against the film still lives, despite news of its announcement several months ago. “All female Ghostbusters? Maybe they will be able to get rid of the paranormal sudden headaches in bed,” tweets one user. “How can I moan about Ghostbusters without sounding like a sexist?!” bemoans another.
Director Paul Feig says that he was surprised by the negative backlash the movie received. Twitter can be quite vicious, he said, referring to the childlike behavior of some of its users. He likes to look up the profiles of people who post negative comments, he adds, and is usually surprised by the result: “I figure it’s some wacked-out teenager. But almost constantly it’s someone who’s [sic] bio says ‘Proud father of two!’ And has some high-end job. You’re raising children and yet you’re bashing me about putting women in my movie?” But Feig believes in the project and says he “wouldn’t go into battle” without anyone in his cast.
Luckily, the pro-female casting voices are strong, too. Many people seem genuinely excited about the movie, either for its casting or simply because it contributes to the Ghostbusters franchise. The movie is likely to wield significant influence on future casting decisions for other movies and other franchises, and hopefully casting more women will become rote for Hollywood.
