The foursome of female Ghostbusters in director Paul Feig’s upcoming reboot are close to being cast, and here they are: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon.
Negotiations are ongoing, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but this lineup is likely locked barring any unforeseen disagreements or conflicts. Assuming the T’s are crossed and I’s dotted in short order, the plan is to start shooting this summer in New York.
Both McCarthy and Wiig are no strangers to Fieg’s work, having starred in his critically and commercially acclaimed 2011 comedy, Bridesmaids. Jones is a featured player in the Saturday Night Live cast, after joining the show in early 2014; you can also see her in Chris Rock’s latest, Top Five. McKinnon is another SNLer, having joined the cast in 2012.
Along with Wiig, yet another SNL vet, that’s three of four new Ghostbusters having the long-running weekend sketch comedy series to thank for early successes. Along with McCarthy, who is no stranger to SNL after hosting the show in three consecutive years (and earning an Emmy nom for that work), the four spook sisters should have a lot of common ground with which to building a working relationship.
We still don’t know a whole lot about Feig’s specific plans for the new Ghostbusters. The reboot sticks with the New York City setting that was so vital to the original two releases in the series, and we know Feig is angling to deliver a story with more scares than before. But with the main cast seemingly assembled and production set to start in only a few months, we’re sure to hear more soon.
