Photographs appear online of veteran comic arriving in Boston to shoot scenes for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig’s female-led reboot

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Bill Murray will appear in the new Ghostbusters film, according to reports in Hollywood.

US trade publications Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and Deadline all report that Murray will play an unspecified role in Paul Feig’s remake. Meanwhile, photographs have emerged of the actor apparently arriving in Boston to shoot his scenes.

Birth.Movies.Death reports Murray, 64, will play Martin Heiss, described as a professional supernatural debunker who stands in opposition to the new team.

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The iconic actor’s involvement will be seen as a coup for studio Sony as Murray, who starred as eccentric parapsychologist Dr Peter Venkman in 1984’s Ghostbusters, had previously been against a return to the supernatural saga. The comic told US talk show host David Letterman in 2012 that the critical failure of 1989’s Ghostbusters II had convinced him to steer clear of future instalments, and indicated the script he had seen for a proposed followup was weak.

However, Murray was vocal in his praise for Bridesmaids director Paul Feig’s appointment last year, even offering his own casting suggestions. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones are due to play the new Ghostbusters quartet, with Thor star Chris Hemsworth on board as the team’s secretary.

Murray will be joined on screen by Dan Aykroyd, who starred as Ray Stantz. The third surviving member of the original Ghostbusters team, Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) is not expected to return after initially dismissing the idea of an all-female cast as a “bad idea” (though he later backtracked). Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler, died in February 2014.

The new Ghostbusters movie, which is currently shooting, is due for release on 15 July next year.



