It has been widely known that original Ghostbusters cast members Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson would reprise their roles in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. What was a little more up in the air was if Bill Murray would return. However, thanks to a Vanity Fair article written by Anthony Breznican it has now been confirmed that Murray will be reprising his role as Dr. Peter Venkman.
Vanity Fair’s Breznican spent time on set and with Bill Murray in Canada just before the actor’s 69th birthday. While he couldn’t report on what or who was being filmed during his time, he was able to try on a proton pack and get Murray’s take on this new installment of the franchise. As fans know costar and cowriter Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler, passed away in 2014. When asked about his absence, Murray had this to say:
“Well, we are a man down. That’s the deal and that’s the story that we’re telling, that’s the story they’ve written.”
Bill Murray, Vanity Fair article (January 23, 2020)
Was It Ever a Question Bill Murray Would Return?
The short answer is yes. The Vanity Fair writer says it best when he states that Bill Murray is notoriously enigmatic. In Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, Dan Aykroyd talks about how they didn’t know if Murray was actually doing the original 1984 Ghostbusters until the day he showed up on set. Sofia Coppola also revealed on a panel at Filmfest München in 2017 that she had called Murray’s 1-800 number for months not knowing if he would star in her 2003 film Lost In Translation.
If you’re anything like me, you are now probably wondering how Bill Murray who has been wildly popular since his stint on Saturday Night Live. In addition to his now infamous roles in movies like Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, Tootsie, and Groundhog Day to name only a few. How could someone this famous not have agents and managers? Well…he doesn’t! He has an “800” number, which he may or may not answer if you leave him a message.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits theaters on July 10, 2020.
