We preface this whole news piece with the fact that the source is the National Enquirer, so this is to be taken as more allegation than fact.

Bill Murray has been the stick in the mud that has kept Ghostbusters III from getting past the script phase.  He is willing read any script Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd send to him, but his demands for a worthy story and a quality script are well known.

Allegedly now that might not ever come to pass. Murray is said to have sent back the most recent script to the production offices, in a box shredded to pieces. Accompanying the shredded screenplay was a note saying:

“No one wants to pay money to see fat, old men chasing ghosts!”

That was apparently the straw that broke the camels back and now Ramis and Aykroyd are furious and are set to make the movie with out him.

Obviously this story has a rather outrageous feel to it, and it’s source provides no assurance that it is true, but if it were Murray is being a bit of a jerk.

Many people are excited to see “fat, old men chasing ghosts,” and people would gladly pay. There is reason to have faith in this project, but Murray keeps dashing those hopes, it is like a bad tease and if this is true you have to wonder if Murray ever truly intended to return to the role.

These days when you hear about reboots or sequels to classic 80′s franchises, the only thing that comes to mind is a shutter. With things like Footloose or Fright Night trying to take over theaters, it’s hard to believe that a good idea could float to the top.

That’s where Dan Aykroyd’s script for Ghostbusters 3 comes into play. Rumors have been floating around for over a decade about the proposed third film in the franchise, with names like Steve Carell, Jonah Hill, Eliza Dushku, and Alyssa Milano being thrown about, but Aykroyd is here to tell us exactly what we can look forward to, in an ambiguous sort of way.

In a recent episode of The Dennis Miller Show, Aykroyd finally answered the questions we’ve all been waiting for: Will there be a third film?

Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray. That is our hope. We have an excellent script. What we have to remember is that ‘Ghostbusters’ is bigger than any one component, although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributive to it in a massive way, as was the director and Harold [Ramis], myself and Sigourney [Weaver]. The concept is much bigger than an individual role and the promise of ‘Ghostbusters 3′ is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood.

So the idea of Jonah Hill or Eliza Dushku may not be too far off. The sad part is when Aykroyd explains what has happened to our favorite members of the team 20 years later.

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Tales from the Crypt, the campy-yet-excellent horror staple of the early 90s television, is back in news as producers are hoping to reignite that spark once again with a modern reboot. After 15 years of being off the small screen, the horror series will be returning to television.

The new series is being developed by Gil Adler, a producer on the original HBO series, and Andrew Cosby, best known for his work on Eureka. The hour-long series will be based on the comics. Unlike it’s predecessor, the new series will not follow the anthology format, but will follow a standard series format using the characters in an ongoing storyline format.

Those of you who read the original comic books will see this is a strange turn of events as the comics didn’t have much in the way of returning characters. Other than The Crypt-Keeper, The Vault-Keeper and The Old Witch, all other characters and the “victims” of the stories always changed. It is also being reported that  The Crypt-Keeper, The Vault-Keeper and The Old Witch are not going to be part of the new series.

The original HBO series, which spawned collectibles and movies through out the 90s, ran for seven seasons. It attracted an impressive stable of directors and actors including Robert Zemeckis, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Buscemi, Tim Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Kirk Douglas, Joe Pesci, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor, Malcom McDowell, Bob Hoskins, Brooke Sheilds, Benicio Del Toro, Demi Moore, Martin Sheen, Richard Donner, Walter Hill, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, William Friedkin, Tobe Hoober and Michael J. Fox.

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Let’s face it, there’s no good press coming out of the upcoming Warner Bros. live-action reboot of the classic Hannah Barbara cartoon Yogi Bear. Not even the Social Network-ing skills of Justin Timberlake or the comedic timing of Dan Aykroyd can help this film, as it was pretty much doomed from the get-go.

That was, however, until we saw a brand new alternate ending made by animator Edmund Earle and a few of his friends in their spare time. This is most definitely not made for the same audience that the film was made for, as it takes it’s cues from the ending of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Earle and his cohorts want people to know that this has absolutely no association with Warner Brothers, the producers, or the talent involved in the Yogi Bear film. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome.

Check out the full video after the jump and remember, no animated bears were harmed in the filming of this ending.

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This week’s pick is the 1979 least known and only comedy from director Steven Spielberg, 1941 which stars Saturday Night Live originals Dan Aykroyd (Sgt. Frank Tree), and the incomparable John Belushi (Capt. “Wild” Bill Kelso, U.S. Army Air Corp.) Other supporting actors include Bobby Di Cicco (Wally Stephens), Ned Beatty (Ward Douglas), Lorraine Gary (Joan Douglas), Murray Hamilton (Claude Crumm), Christopher Lee (Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt), Tim Matheson (Capt. Loomis Berkhead) and Toshiro Mifune (Cmd. Akiro Mitamura).

Also on hand are Warren Oates (Col. Maddox), Robert Stack (Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stillwell), Treat Williams (Cpl. Chuck “Stretch” Sitarski), Nancy Allen (Donna Stratton), John Candy (Pvt. Foley), Slim Pickens (Hollis P. Wood), and Count Floyd himself, Joe Flaherty (Raoul Lipschitz).

The opening of the film informs the audience about the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 which hurtled an unsuspecting America into World War II. The West Coast of the United States was fearful that the Japanese would attack California next. These were actual fears that were quickly realized by its citizens, and that extreme caution and observation was needed to thwart any attempt which made invasion possible. The film is set just six days after the Pearl Harbor attack.

In the first few opening minutes of the film, Spielberg, and writers Bob Gale, John Milius, and future director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy) fantastically lampoon Spielberg’s Jaws opening by using the very same actress to re-create her skinny dip scene in the early morning hours. Veteran Spielberg composer John Williams even re-creates his famous theme music. The female swimmer is instantly caught on the periscope of a Japanese submarine which is prowling the California coastline for a worthy military target.

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There’s a pretty fine line to walk when it comes to remaking a classic. Sometimes the studio gets it right and stays as true to the original as possible, and sometimes we get Cedric the Entertainer’s Honeymooners. Thankfully, the live action Yogi Bear film falls under the umbrella of the former.

If the film is nothing else, it deserves an award for voice directing. Both Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake lend their voices for the film, and you really couldn’t tell unless you were told, which is exactly how it should be.

Joining the cast is Tom Cavanagh as Ranger Smith, Anna Faris, and after an astounding audition with a live bear, T.J Miller was worked into the script as Ranger Jones.

The trailer looks like it could do the franchise justice, or at the very least, do better than the upcoming Smurfs film. And yes, the film will be in 3D, as if there was any doubt.

Check out the trailer after the jump and catch Yogi Bear in theaters and in 3D on December 17.

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According to an interview with MTV, Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two Ghostbusters movies and some misfires such as My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and the David Duchovny starrer Evolution, will indeed return to direct the third film in the Ghostbusters franchise. He also mentioned that the first draft script from Year One writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky is completed and they are currently at work on another draft.

Regarding rumors from stars Harold Ramis, who said the movie is hopefully to be filmed in time for a 2011 release, and Sigourney Weaver who said Bill Murray’s character would be returning as a ‘Slimer’-like ghost, Reitman kept silent saying he didn’t want to talk about what “cool things” were in the script or what may have been said about it. He did say that he’s hoping to film sometime in the coming year, which fits with hopefully having the movie out next year.

Ghostbusters 3 is set to definitely star Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver with Murray, Annie Potts and the retired Rick Moranis all rumored to be returning as well. The story is supposedly about the older generation of Ghostbusters handing the reins over to a younger generation including, again according to Weaver, her movie son ‘Oscar’ who should be all grown-up now.

Ghostbusters is one of those films that’s simply timeless. Sure, the special effects are a little iffy these days but the story and comedic beats are still perfect. On the other hand  Ghostbusters 2 didn’t quite hit the mark for most people. That being the case, it’s hard to decide which way a third film may fall.  Would it live up to the original or become a parody of itself like the sequel?

It’s hard to imagine anything being as good as the original. However, I think some sort of transition film, in which a younger Ghostbuster team takes the place of the originals, could work. Original Ghostbuster Harold Ramis thinks so too:

“Something’s going to happen. Dan [Aykroyd] did write a spec GB3 screenplay a few years ago, but no one was motivated to pursue it. Now, 25 years after the original, there seems to be some willingness to proceed and apparently a substantial public appetite for a sequel. We’ll introduce some new young Ghostbusters, and all the old guys will be in it, too. Think Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future … GB3 is progressing with plans to shoot next summer and release in 2011. . . “

So there you have it, right from Egon’s mouth.  Ghostbusters 3 is on track to production and will probably set up a new franchise. The original spec script by Dan Aykroyd Ramis referred to was Ghostbusters Go To Hell which probably wouldn’t work to well. As such, co-executive producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky from The Office TV series have been tasked with writing a new script.

Hmm, Ghostbusters meets Dunder-Mifflin?  Sounds crazy, but it may just work.

This Tuesday marks a big day for fans all over the world who’ve ever wanted to bust ghosts. Why? Because the Ghostbusters are making their move from the big screen to video game consoles. Ghostbusters: The Videogame features original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson together for the first time since 1989′s Ghosbusters 2– although they’re all supposedly signed on to continue the franchise in a third film.

Reviews of the game are already rolling in with nothing but high praise. IGN, for example,  gave the PS3/XBox 360 version of the game an 8 out of 10 on IGN.com calling it a “hell of a ride.” While this is great news for all, fans who pick up Amazon.com’s exclusive Slimer Edition of Ghostbusters: The Video Game are in for some disappointing news. The box set was going to contain Minimate figurines of Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Louis Tully, and Dana Barrett, but Amazon regretfully reported that they would not be included.

This brought the price of the set from $129.99 to $109.99, even for those who pre-ordered before the Minimate’s exclusion. It looks like they’ll be sold separately and come out a few days before the game. Amazon’s Slimier Edition does, however, include a light up “Ecto 1″ keychain (complete with siren sounds), a set of Gamer Graffix console skins, and an exclusive Slimer bust created by originial movie sculptor, Steve Johnson.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game hits store shelves tomorrow and is available for for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC.

In a recent interview with the LA Times, the legend of Blues, comedy and ‘busting ghosts’, Dan Aykroyd, updated the fans on the developments of a third Ghostbusters film, which has been on hold for quite some time, mostly due to Bill Murray’s prior reluctance to return to the franchise.

“I don’t put not making the third movie on Billy,” said Aykroyd in the interview. “We can’t do that. I’ve been very busy. Harold’s been busy, Ivan’s been busy. And a third script really didn’t coalesce properly. And Billy, you can’t blame an artist for not wanting to do the same thing again. He did two of them, for God’s sake.”

Aykroyd went on to defend Murray further and elaborate a bit more on when he feels the film may come together and start production. According to the actor:  ”Although I’m the biggest cheerleader as the originator of the concept but I’ve never begrudged Billy not doing a third movie. I never said he held it up or that he refused. I’m sorry he never read my third draft because I thought it was pretty good but, look, now we’re at a point that there’s a story that he can accept and that’s going to work, and I think we’re going to be in production fairly soon. We could be in production by winter.”

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