Everything about Jason Reitman’s new Ghostbusters movie has felt a little gross, particularly since Reitman noted when the project was announced in January that it would be for “all the other fans” like him—a line that seemed like a reference to the many “fans” who hated the very idea of 2016's all-female Ghostbusters reboot. Then, this week, Reitman seemed to lean even harder into that interpretation when he reiterated that his Ghostbusters (which will be a continuation of the original two) will “hand the movie back to the fans.” The idea that Ghostbusters was, at some point, not in the hands of the “fans” once again seemed like a clear shot at the 2016 movie and its female cast.
Recently, though, Reitman walked back that comment, saying it “came out wrong” and that he has “nothing but admiration” for director Paul Feig and the cast of his 2016 Ghostbusters movie. It’s not much, but it’s probably worth noting that he is indicating that he said the wrong thing, not that the public is misinterpreting what he said (though that still might not be enough to convince Leslie Jones that this is anything but a “dick move”).
After Reitman’s comment, Feig himself stepped up to defend the new new Ghostbusters director, saying Reitman has always been a supporter of his and that he “can’t wait to see his take on the Ghostbusters universe.” Also, Feig weirdly used the studio-mandated full title of his Ghostbusters movie, which was dubbed Ghostbusters: Answer The Call so it wouldn’t get confused for the old movie or dated by the addition of its release year.