Aykroyd Confirms, Bill Murray Will NOT Be in Ghostbusters 3

The amount of Ghostbusters 3 "news" can get a little tiring, especially because they are usually the same rumors that have been going on since 1999.  However, this saddening bit of news is a little different.  Bill Murray most definitely will not be returning...*le sigh*.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Dan Aykroyd shed a little more light on the actual status of Ghostbusters 3 and all but confirmed the bad news:

"I honestly don’t know. At this point it’s in suspended animation. The studio, the director Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis feel there must be a way to do it, but Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn’t want to be involved. He’s got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He’s into this life and living it. I know we’d have a lot of fun [but] I can’t be mad at him. He’s a friend first, a colleague second. We have a deep personal relationship that transcends business and he doesn’t want to know."

Aykroyd also clarified some of the rumors that came out earlier this month about the possibility of replacing Murray's character of Peter Venkman, ala James Bond or Jack Ryan:

“We’re not going to do a movie that exploits the franchise. The script has to be perfect. I’m the cheerleader, but I’m only one voice in the matter. It’s a surety that Bill Murray will not do the movie, however there is still interest from the studio."

I'm actually a little angry about the news.  I really want to see another Ghostbusters movie on the big screen, especially because I was too young to see the first two in theaters.  However, without question, Murray needs to be apart of it.  Its just so frustrating that he has this complete unwillingness to be apart of it.  In some interviews, its almost like Ghostbusters is this burden he has to carry around with him...even though it's pretty much what helped make him the superstar he is today.

While there may be a sliver of hope that he could change his mind based on a "perfect" script, this is a pretty sad day for all Ghostheads.

Via: Ghostbusters News