The announcement that classic ’80s film Ghostbusters was being rebooted once again was immediately slammed by punters, including the star of the 2016 female-led remake, Leslie Jones.
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Now, more backlash has ensued following comments made by the director of the forthcoming remake.
During his appearance on the Bill Burr Podcast, Jason Reitman said the 2020 version is going to “be a love letter to Ghostbusters.”
“I love this franchise. I grew up watching it. I consider myself the first Ghostbusters fan,” he said. “I was like seven years old when that movie came out and I love it. I want to make a movie for my fellow Ghostbusters fans.”
He concludes by saying that he hopes to “go back to the original technique” and “hand the movie back to the fans,” which fans have interpreted as his implication that the 2016 rendition was too much of a departure from the original because the gang of poltergeist punchers were women.
As his comments started to do the ’rounds on social media, Twitter users took him to task over the “sexist” connotations of his messaging.
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It’s unfortunate Reitman feels he is handing Ghostbusters “BACK to the fans.” We spent almost an entire year fighting off sexist jerks, trying to explain nothing was being hijacked from the fans of the original (which isn’t even that great to begin with.) I feel betrayed…
— Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly) February 20, 2019
i never want to hear the words “ghostbusters” and “fan” in the same sentence ever again
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) February 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/KamenSpider/status/1098304325187784704
https://twitter.com/morninggloria/status/1098375052284768256
This quote really makes it sound like the “real” fans are the sexist, racist assholes that attacked Leslie Jones and made the entire launch of the last Ghostbusters a nightmare for the women involved and for fans who looked forward to their work. https://t.co/znmVCT7UU8
— Soraya Chemaly (@schemaly) February 20, 2019
And, yes, the notion of “giving the movie back to the fans” is, intentional or not, a deeply loaded statement considering how the “fans” made life hell (online) for women anticipating (and eventually participating in) the 2016 GHOSTBUSTERS movie.
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) February 20, 2019
It’s a neat trick how white dudebros can slyly play identity politics by referring to a default setting without explicitly saying “white” or “male” or “straight” or “cisgender” and then turn around and blast identity politics when we ask for a seat at the table.#Ghostbusters
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) February 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/poniewozik/status/1098300794464595972
Jason Reitman Says His Version Of Ghostbusters Will “Hand The Movie Back To White Guys In Their Mid- To Late-40s” https://t.co/9Ullg9pbAt
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) February 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/SatuRuna/status/1098327866188562432
“Jason Reitman clearly isn’t playing into the hands of racists and mysogynists by saying he wants to reclaim Ghostbusters for the fans, he just wants to make a good movie” pic.twitter.com/E7iaZr2KaP
— Daniel Doughty (@danghty) February 20, 2019
Reports suggest that the new rendition of the fantasy flick will feature children as the main characters.
Jones previously tweeted that the remake is “so insulting.”
“Like fuck us. We dint count,” she wrote. “It’s like something trump would do. (Trump voice)”Gonna redo ghostbusteeeeers, better with men, will be huge. Those women ain’t ghostbusteeeeers” ugh so annoying. Such a dick move. And I don’t give fuck I’m saying something!!”
Adding, “It’s very sad that this is response I get.When the point is if they make this new one with all men and it does well which it will. It might feel that “boys are better”it makes my heart drop. Maybe I could have use different words but I’m allowed to have my feelings just like them.”
So insulting. Like fuck us. We dint count. It’s like something trump would do. (Trump voice)”Gonna redo ghostbusteeeeers, better with men, will be huge. Those women ain’t ghostbusteeeeers” ugh so annoying. Such a dick move. And I don’t give fuck I’m saying something!!
— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) January 19, 2019
It’s very sad that this is response I get.When the point is if they make this new one with all men and it does well which it will. It might feel that “boys are better”it makes my heart drop. Maybe I could have use different words but I’m allowed to have my feelings just like them
— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) January 20, 2019
