Well I guess it turns out that Paul Feig is directing Ghostbusters 3 after all since we’re hearing that Katie Dippold (who wrote The Heat), has just been signed to co-write the third installment with Feig. This is actually not at all who I expected would get the gig, and it’s all the more refreshing because of it. Typically these giant franchises land in the hands of someone who has a lot of credits and a long track record with the studios, and even though Dippold’s last film was a giant hit, she’s still something of a new voice. In my mind this is most certainly a positive development.

It’s been rumored for a while now that this take on Ghostbusters 3 would be a reboot of sorts that focusses on a strong female ensemble with minimal appearances from the established cast. With Bill Murray unwilling and Harold Ramis gone, I certainly hope this is the direction the project is still headed in. Hit the jump for more on Katie Dippold writing Ghostbusters 3.

Click here to for many more details on this Ghostbusters reboot from Feig himself.

THR broke the news of Dippold’s hiring. And all of the current info seems to lean towards the female-centric angle, which is the smartest move they could make:

Feig came on board to rejuvenate the projectin August. But he came with a twist: the Ghostbusters would now be a female team and the project would no longer be connected to the earlier movies but now launch a new series.

This development also goes a long way towards making Dan Aykroyd‘s vision of a cinematic universe more likely (in the sense that there’s actually a script on the way for one of the projects), but it’s probably better if we take that idea one step at a time. Original director Ivan Reitman is still onboard to produce. What about you guys? Are you excited for this take on the material?

Update: Feig just issued the following statement on Twitter: