If you’re like me, you’ve followed Bill Murray from his zany comedy roles to his more recent sad clown performances with equal zeal. He’s evolved as an actor, turning in subtle and oft dramatic performances that have drawn him international acclaim, and an Oscar nod. With this legacy of laughs and poignant performances, Murray is the kind of star people build productions around. Big productions. $150 million productions. About men who battle ghosts.
According to Deadline’s Mike Fleming, Ghostbusters 3, the long-rumored Ghostbusters sequel that has been crafted by Sony Pictures, is entirely dependent on Murray’s involvement. But the elusive icon has yet to contact the studio with a yay or nay, meaning the would-be feature is stalled until further notice. Fleming laments that Murray has recently left CAA, and so contacting him for comment is virtually impossible. (Reporters have confronted Murray on this before, and he was nonchalant, replying that those who need to, know how to contact him. Apparently, this includes Woody Harrelson, who personally cajoled Murray to appear in Zombieland in 2009. I know as a film writer, I should find this frustrating, but to me it just adds to his mystique.) Rumors have it that Murray will respond to Sony once he’s read the Ghostbusters 3 script. So…there’s that. In the meantime, expect Dan Aykroyd to continue to talk about the project in an attempt to stay relevant.
In other Murray news, Focus Features is pursuing Murray to play Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Hyde Park on the Hudson. Rather than an expansive biopic about the controversial president, Hyde would focus on a period pre-WWII when the King and Queen of England visited FDR’s home in upstate NY, the first time British monarchy set foot in the U.S. Among the film’s more salacious elements is a subplot involving FDR bedding his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley. However, while some sites claim Murray is locked in to star, Deadline notes that Focus Features has refused to confirm Murray has signed on. Hyde, which is adapted by Richard Nelson from his play, is set to shoot in July, so if Murray does decide to appear, we’ll likely hear an official confirmation in short order.
What are your thoughts on the latest Murray rumors? Are you still holding out hope for Ghostbusters 3? Do you want to see Murray take on FDR?