Media Bits: Ghostbuster III, Percy Jackson, 99 Stories

While Dan Aykroyd has been on a personal mission to relaunch the franchise for years, it looks like he’s finally accepted the forgone conclusion that Bill Murray will not do Ghostbusters III. Whether a third installment gets made now, seems to be in ever greater doubt. In an interview with the British Telegraph Aykroyd told them: “I honestly don't know. At this point it's in suspended animation. The studio, the director Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis feel there must be a way to do it, but Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn't want to be involved. He's got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He's into this life and living it. I know we'd have a lot of fun...I can't be mad at him. He's a friend first, a colleague second. We have a deep personal relationship that transcends business and he doesn't want to know.” It seems clear that Sony/Columbia will want Murray before committing to an expensive third installment, even if it’s a reboot. And woes of the third script has also kept the studio from committing, as over the years there has been numerous versions which appear to less funny and interesting that Ghostbusters II. Perhaps, in the end, either the third movie idea goes away, or they just reboot the franchise with a younger cast and hope that audiences will come. It’s a huge financial risk either way.

Universal Pictures has acquired the graphic novel series Cowboy Ninja Viking, which was created by AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo. Quantum of Solace and World War Z director Marc Forster will helm it. The script is from Zombieland writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese and was once owned by Disney, but they eventually let the property go, deeming it “too edgy” for the House of Mouse. With an already completed script, the film should go into production as soon as work on World War Z is finished.

With Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monster production closing in Mary Birdsong (The Descendants), Missi Pyle (The Artist), and Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley on NBC’s brilliant Community) have been cast as the Three Fates.

The creator of BBC’s Luthor Neil Cross will script an update version of Day of the Triffids for Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi. This classic alien invasion story that has seen multiple incarnations over the decades, with many of its aspects have been borrowed in others productions, but we’ll see if Cross can bring another angle to it.

Leonard Nimoy’s voice will be heard on the March 29^th episode of The Big Bang Theory. The legendary Star Trek actor had announced his retirement from acting and directing two years ago after a recurring role on Fringe and his appearance as Spock in the Star Trek reboot in 2009. But as James Bond actor Sean Connery once learned, you never say never. The episode deals with Sheldon talking to a Spock action figure, and Nimoy will provide that voice. 

AMC has green-lite a new series with the tentative title of 99 Stories, which comes from James Middleton (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), David Seltzer (The Omen) and Steven Banks. The unique premise has a group of people stuck in a 99-stoy skyscraper with the building itself deciding who lives and dies.