Frozen Empire Director On How Hard It Was Getting Bill Murray Back for the Movie

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a movie that could have been much less of a crowd-pleaser if it had not included Bill Murray as Peter Venkman. As the instigator of many of the original movie’s droll one-liners, Murray’s involvement in the most recent installment of the franchise was never a certain thing according to reports, but as director Gil Kenan told Collider, the often aloof actor was “really enthusiastic” about reprising his role once more.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

3.5/5

Release Date

March 22, 2024

Cast

Mckenna Grace , Carrie Coon , Annie Potts , Paul Rudd , Emily Alyn Lind , Bill Murray , Finn Wolfhard , Ernie Hudson , Dan Aykroyd , Patton Oswalt , William Atherton , Kumail Nanjiani

Studio

BRON Studios, Columbia Pictures, Ghostcorps

Murray has frequently been cited as the reason any kind of sequel to 1989’s Ghostbusters II took so long to make. The actor’s reputation as a “loose canon” and his desire to distance himself from the franchise for many years, led many fans to believe that movies such as Afterlife and Frozen Empire would never be made. However, Kenan suggests that getting Murray back for this movie was quite easy. He said:

“Well, you know very well that Bill and I have a history [laughs] because we made a movie together in 2007, a movie that almost cost you your life. That was the Hall H experience, and we won’t go into too much. But it opened the door for Bill and I to have a relationship that has remained dynamic over the years. We’ve stayed friends, we’ve kept in touch. When I reached out to him to say that we were creating a story for Peter Venkman in this film, he was really enthusiastic.”

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Managed to Bring Back Many Key Cast Members

Kenan went on to explain why the stars of the franchise still want to return to their roles. With a new team in tow, getting the OG Ghostbusters stars back was important to continuing from where Afterlife left off. Kenan said:

“What I’ve learned coming into this from the outside, as a fan stepping into the ring of Ghostbusters, is that, actually, these legendary actors who one can approach with reverence because they’ve changed the course of our filmmaking lives, they love their characters. They love these stories so much. It really is, for them, an absolute gesture of affection every time they put on the flight suit. Even though they grumble about putting on those proton packs, they really love doing it because it’s central to their identity as stars and as characters that have relationships with audiences around the world.”

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Box Office Round-Up: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Busts Negative Reviews to Win the Weekend

The Ghostbusters sequel scares up plenty of theatergoers, while Sydney Sweeney’s Immaculate horror flick debuts in the Top 5.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has certainly delivered for fans of the franchise. Despite a rough ride from critics, the combination of new and old characters, along with more than a nod to the animated The Real Ghostbusters series, has seen the movie land a decent 85% approval rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.