In terms of completely obliterating and reconstructing a franchise, 2016’sGhostbustershas proven to be one of the most controversial amongst fans. In the new universe being set up by directorPaul Feig, none of the characters from the 1984Ghostbustersexist, and the world set within thecomedy horroradventure has never known these haint hunting scientists. That hasn’t sat well with long-time fans. Neither has the fact that four females now lead the main cast.Sony PicturesheadTom Rothmanhas shared his disgust at some of the things he’s read online. In fact, he has some pretty harsh words for all thedetractorsout there.
Tom Rothmanrecently spoke toTHRabout the way the general public has perceived his rebranding of this once beloved franchise. And he calls it outright sexist. He believes the louder majority are simply ‘pissing and moaning’, and bluntly stated ‘F ‘em!’ When asked how he feels about the situation, he went onto say the following.
“Everybody says we’re making the female Ghostbusters, but I say, ‘No, we’re making the funny Ghostbusters.’ Yes, it happens to be four women. It’s original. You get pissing and moaning on the Internet - sexist comments - but, you know, f- ‘em.”
The studio boss went onto claim that Hollywood has never held diversity as one of its ‘strong suits’. But he hopes to change that, and he wants to start with this new Ghostbusters, which features two of thetop comedic talentsin the world in either sex,Kristen WiigandMelissa McCarthy. His motto is ‘do or die’, because in this age, the audience has become very diverse.
Tom Rothmanspoke at the Paley International Council in New York, where he also slammed Presidential hopefulDonald Trump, though he didn’t outright name the Republican candidate. He also chimed in on the Syrian refugee situation, while tying this conversation into his upcoming NFLConcussiondrama, pointing to the fact thatWill Smith’s character is an immigrant. He also cited why he loves the recent bomb,The Walk, and explained why it’s important that the film exists.
“That film does something that only movies can do, in that the towers don’t exist anymore. They can’t exist anymore. But in that film, they do. Creativity is the best answer to terrorism.”
The Sony studio head wrapped things up by saying that movie admission prices have become too expensive. And he believes that young audiences are abandoning the theatrical experience for VOD alternatives. Maybe he’s putting that out there so that, if Ghostbusters bombs, he has something else to blame it on. What do you think? Do you agree with his comments about the remake?
