Ivan Reitman produced and directed the hit 1984 comedy Ghostbusters and its sequel five years later. Now the longtime Hollywood player has bigger plans—for a whole ghostbusting universe. He’s working on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot with Dan Aykroyd, one of the franchise’s original stars; director Paul Feig; and a bevy of new comedians, led by Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, in an all-female version of the story. To help guide him, Reitman has created a bible (an in-depth rundown of characters, history, and rules for their fictional world) to refer to as he produces the film, slated for a July 2016 release. His new Ghost Corps production company will use the same playbook as it churns out TV shows, character merchandise, and possibly an animated feature based on the ghost-hunting Ph.D.s.
“It’s a way to stand out in a very crowded market,” Reitman says. “If the movies are good, and the word of mouth is good, when there is a universe of films, it has a multiplier effect.”
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