Bill Murray to appear in new ‘Ghostbusters’

By Brian Truitt | Gannett News Service

Bustin’ still makes Bill Murray feel good.

After shooting down possibilities over the years of ever putting on a proton pack again, the mercurial star of the original “Ghostbusters” movies from the 1980s will be appearing in director Paul Feig’s female-centric reboot of the franchise, according to reports from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Details are still sketchy on whether Murray, 64, will be reprising his role as cocky yet lovable paranormal expert Dr. Peter Venkman from 1984’s original “Ghostbusters” and 1989’s “Ghostbusters II,” or if Feig has a new character for him to play. Murray’s co-star Dan Aykroyd confirmed his own cameo in the movie last month.

In 2009, Murray joined Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and the late Harold Ramis to voice their iconic characters for a “Ghostbusters” video game, but he long dismissed the idea of being in a third “Ghostbusters” — during an appearance on “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2011, the actor from Wilmette called the thought of him returning “crazy talk.”

He has, however, been openly approving of Feig’s direction with the upcoming movie, telling MTV News in July that, with the cast of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, “they got, like, a murderers’ row there.”

The new “Ghostbusters” movie, which currently is filming in Boston, is slated to hit theaters July 15, 2016.