Later this month, a new Ghostbusters movie is on the way that will continue the story of the original movies in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but as that approaches, it’s hard not to think about the modern Ghostbusters sequel we already got—in part because of the toxic fandom uproar around it. It’s now been over five years since then, and in a recent interview, star Melissa McCarthy briefly discussed the backlash.
Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, McCarthy said,
There’s no end to stories we can tell, and there’s so many reboots and relaunches and different interpretations, and to say any of them are wrong, I just don’t get it. I don’t get the fight to see who can be the most negative and the most hate-filled. Everybody should be able to tell the story they want to tell. If you don’t want to see it, you don’t have to see it.
Sadly, this feels all too familiar. There’s a big difference between not being interested in or not liking a reboot, remake, or whatever new or different version of something you’re nostalgic for and going out of your way to attack it and tear it down. I wish I could say I don’t understand it but, sadly, I think we all know exactly what was driving the most toxic detractors—again, not people who just didn’t wind up liking the movie, but those who made it their mission to tear it down at every opportunity, or worse.
Personally, while I’m a fan of the originals, I’m not really interested in any Ghostbusters reboots, but they’re not ruining my childhood, or anyone else’s, with any of their choices, whether you think they’re good or you like them or not. That’s not a serious criticism, whether it’s being used as a joke or as a bad-faith shield for some truly disgusting motives.
Here are some other things we saw today:
Marvel’s Eternals director Chloé Zhao loves all the Drukkari shippers:
THE SANDERSON SISTERS ARE BACK.
They’re already running amok, amok, amok! 🕯 @BetteMidler, @SJP, and @KathyNajimy are in production on #HocusPocus2, coming Fall 2022 on #DisneyPlus. #DisneyPlusDay pic.twitter.com/deTH8HxPjW
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) November 12, 2021
(image: Sony Pictures Releasing)
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