Bridesmaids director Paul Feig has emerged as the surprise frontrunner to direct Ghostbusters 3, the long-gestating second sequel to the iconic 1984 supernatural comedy. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures is now planning a revamp focusing on female Ghostbusters.

Feig also directed last year's hit buddy cop comedy The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as a pair of odd couple detectives. His appointment would take a project that has suffered due to the disinterest so far shown by the original Ghostbusters star Bill Murray in a headline-grabbing new direction. However, the Hollywood Reporter stresses that Feig has simply shown interest at this stage and is not yet in active negotiations. He is now Sony's first choice to direct.

Ghostbusters 3 suffered a setback in March when Ivan Reitman, who oversaw both the original Ghostbusters and its less well received 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters 2, made the decision to walk away as director following the death of original star Harold Ramis in February.

The film's screenplay has been rewritten a number of times over the past few years by a succession of writers. The most recent version, from Bad Teacher producer-writer team Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, had focused on a new generation of Ghostbusters with previous stars in cameo roles. However, that approach now appears to have foundered following Ramis's death and Murray's continued reluctance to join the project. Ramis and Murray played Egon Spengler and Peter Venkman, alongside Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz and Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, in the original Ghostbusters.

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