Exactly. The passing of Harold Ramis is enough of a blow. Bringing the movie to a screeching halt to explain that Egon has died would not put me in the mood for a comedy movie.
I too would prefer that they cancel GB3 out of respect to Harold.
That being said, if they do go ahead (as they seem to be), then I hope they make Egon deceased. Even if they have to make up some lame story, the audience should be forgiving for obvious reasons. Plus, it’s been roughly 20 years since we last saw Egon – that’s plenty of time for him to die, and plenty of time for characters to grieve. They don’t have to dwell on his death as if it were just months ago.
It would be cool if the characters experienced some kind of subtle ADC (after-death communication) phenomena, as EctoPrimer alluded to, such as an EVP, disembodied voice, etc. ….But I think that a full on ectoplasmic manifestation would be way too tacky.
Perhaps one of the B-plot conflicts could just be characters trying to fill the (professional) gap left by Egon’s death. The “brain drain” within the team. What if they had to sort through his reams of notebooks to find the answer to some riddle? …I’m sure there are lots of interesting ways to actively incorporate Egon into the story, in spite of his death…..
I really don’t know what would be the best course of action here. It’s as someone said, not a decision I’d want to make and not one I like the idea of thinking on too much either. A part of me wants a new GB movie to be made while most of the cast is still around, to pass down what makes the movies great from the deadpan humor to the way things are presented. Keep that style that made the originals great instead of just a generic action flick. If it waited any longer the higher ups will eventually want to do something with the brand and if the rest of the cast by then has passed on, who knows what horrors would happen? Michael Bay? Perish the thought. So I do want GB3 to exist before then.
I just don’t know how I want them to handle Ramis’ passing, or Murrays reluctance to return. Oh it’s easy to think up random ideas, surely. Stuck in the containment unit? Passed on but lingers through the firehouse still doing experiments, possibly showing up at the end as a ghost to help and becoming a true “Ghost, Buster”? It’s not so easy to choose which is the best way to keep his memory there and not just tossed aside while being respectful.
Aykroyd’s involved with the film and I know he’d not let anything be done within his power that he felt was disrespectful to Ramis. So I’m glad I don’t have to make the decision, but I’m also glad it’s in good hands.
My solution to Harold’s death for gb3. DONT MAKE A GB3
Perhaps Spenglers character could be an intermittently reappearing character in the form of some sort of guardian angel, kind of like Jaga from Thundercats. Someone who every now and then momentarily appears and lends help and sound advice.
Ghost would be best. He’d be haunting the firehouse. Kind of the same thing of what they did with Slimer. Not sure how they would characterize the character, but I think it’s a great nod.
Maybe they could characterize Spengler using his spectacles. His spectacles float around the firehouse as if being worn by an invisible Egon.
I think Egon’s character should be placed somewhere off screen, whether it’ passed on or teaching in some far or near classes of paranormal research. Either way have him removed from the plot with respect. Then as a new recruit bring in Ed Spengler as a supporting buster! Seriously watch any Denver Ghostbusters fan film and you now you have a good addition to the team.
That’s been my sentiment since the game came out - to me, the game WAS GB3.
Or maybe if they had to do it, go the CGI route. So the main GBs in their primecan remain the focus. But then we run into the same issue with Harold being gone.
Are all the RGB voice actors still with us? Maybe a revival or animated movie of that?
All the buzz about Ghostbusters lately is kind of a double-edged sword. It’s wonderful that it’s kind of a big thing again, but as another poster said, it does make it more and more likely that the studio will want to take advantage of that by going forward with GBIII, when as early as a few months ago I was fairly confident it would never happen.
ETA: The IDW ongoing comic was the very best way to continue the GB franchise, in my opinion. Some of the earlier minis could be hit-or-miss (IMO, particularly “The Other Side”). But anyone who hasn’t checked out the ongoing really should, “excellent” isn’t a strong enough word for it IMO. The writers really get the characters. I love the art style - and each issue has a treasure trove of easter eggs to be found. I guess if you’re gonna go out, go out on top, but I’m still bummed out that it’s ending very soon.
Ghostbusters and Smallville Season 11 are the only two books I read every month, and SS11 helps illustrate why comics can be a viable, and sometimes the best, way to continue stories from the screen. First of all, it’s still called Smallville but it’s a full-on Superman comic. And really, the show quit being “Smallville” several seasons back. There were rights issues that prevented Bruce Wayne or Diana from being on the show, not so in the comic. The “fight” with Darkseid was a joke on the show…but as long as you have good artists, no worries about an FX budget in a comic! Also no worries about temperamental actors…I’m looking at you, Tom “not gonna wear the tights” Welling!
Mind you, SS11 has it’s rough spots (the Green Lantern arc seemed weak to me). But that’s not something I can say for the GB ongoing, IMO.
I think there’s a greater disrespect to having Egon exist in the new film. I think having any sort of voice clips or manifestation of the deceased genius would be insanely difficult to watch. I think taking over Ramis’s character while he’s not there to give that character the awesomeness that he did will give the character a wierd vibe.. I Don’t want to see someone pretend like they can take on that character with voice or writing. Harold Ramis was a genius of acting, improv, writing, directing etc. It would be extremely difficult to do.
But Egon would never leave the team and just teach somewhere else. I just don’t see Egon possibly leaving the team if they were in a crisis. Would he really allow some other people to take over HIS business? I think that’s mainly out of the question.
But referencing his death would be extremely hard as well. And though I 100% agree with everyone who said it’s worse to have BOTH harold and egon die, I think that it would be the most respectful option. The bottom line is, I think that Ramis wouldn’t want a really sad and depressing moment in what he had created for the sake of laughter. But I think they must have some comedic reference to what had happened (realistically of course… no drilling holes in heads, no experimenting gone wrong..) just reference that he is gone and make it funny. Having a tribute through ghostbusters would be nice. With all the fan art and news, we would all be watching the movie expecting a tribute of some sort, and just saying Egon’s somewhere else not interested in ghostbusting anymore would be a let down… it would feel wrong to leave Ramis out of it like that.
But the ultimate sollution is obvious… no ghostbusters 3. If I’m not mistaken Harold Ramis wasn’t to wild on continuing the movie. There’s nothing wrong with loving what we have. We don’t need a new generation… though I’m young and I wish more people my age loved ghostbusters, but the truth is is that Ghostbusters was apart of the GOLDEN comedy age. The comedies that came from that time were amazing, and it takes a really well humored person to understand. Because the comedies we have nowadays are so bland and are extremely difficult to sit through, they will transform our beloved ghostbusters to an EXTREMELY action packed, CGI film with new and modern humour and conflicts to appeal to the new audience. I don’t want to see that… and for Everything that harold ramis has created in his life, he deserves better. Not continuing the movie would avoid all awkwardness of figuring out if we should kill off egon and disapointing fans. If he stays ppl will be upset, if he’s gone ppl are upset as well.. you can’t win. Let the fans have some freedom in deciding for themselves what has happened if they wish. Don’t let hollywood solidify the future of ghostbusting for us.
I just think getting rid of the movie all together leaves us with Ghostbusters 1 which lets admit.. is probably the GREATEST movie that has ever existed. And that way we have Harold Ramis and of course Egon Spengler forever.
there are a few good ideas here, but i disagree with saying having Egon’s death off screen would be detrimental to the character…
I’d open the movie with Egon’s funeral… set modern day, the other Ghostbusters having moved on to their own businesses, teaching, tenured professors, whatever… but Egon’s funeral is the first time they’ve really seen each other for years.
After the funeral the 3 Ghostbusters and Janine head back to the firehouse, one last drink together to reminisce about Egon and the memories they had together as a group, a final farewell on screen so to speak. At the firehouse a call comes through, which confuses Ray as he believes the lines had all been cut off years ago, as while Egon had been living at the firehouse while teaching at a new york college, he hadn’t really used the land line in years. The call comes through as just static, but sets off old equipment around the firehouse, like Venkman playing with a PKE, reliving his glory days, when it suddenly lights up like a christmas tree when waved towards the phone.
inspired by this, and Ray believing it’s Egon trying to communicate with them, the GB’s suit up again to figure it out, meeting up with Dana, and Oscar joining them along the way, having been in Egon’s Paranormal Phenomena 101 class at the New York college.
I haven’t fleshed out the idea further from there, but that’s how i’d plan the first 15 / 30 mins of the movie, keeping the canon true and the feel of the original Ghostbusters there, keeping respect for Egon and Harold Ramis, and having an on screen goodbye to a beloved actor and character.
Gotta admit methos…that does sound pretty cool. Assuming that it ISN’T Egon reaching out to them from ‘the other side.’
Nah… I was thinking some other spectral entity, using their belief to enter this world…
Thats why the 'busters always got busier before the big bad made their appearance… The larger spectral entities needed the combined belief of mortals, normally followers, to boost their strength and enter this world… So the Ghostbusters get busier with more people believing in them, and believing in ghosts, which is strengthening the larger spectral entities as well…
Again, just my take on how I’d pen it…
I think that the best way to explain Spenglers absence is to simply say that he’s dead. The remaining three can touch upon his death just to let the audience know exactly what happened to him but the story should move swiftly forward without dwelling on his death or his character too much. Ideally it should be a sad scene that is given an injection of humour which makes the audience laugh. I don’t think it should get too sentimental.
I agree. (well, that scene might get sentimental)