Paul Feig, director of 2016’s all-female reboot of Ghostbusters, partly blames Donald Trump for the racist and sexist criticism the film acquired from on-line trolls.
Throughout a current interview with The Guardian, the filmmaker appeared again in any respect the hate the action-comedy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, confronted following its debut.
“The political local weather of the time was actually bizarre, with Hillary Clinton working for workplace in 2016,” he recalled. “There have been lots of dudes searching for a battle. Once I was getting piled on, on Twitter, I’d return and see who they have been. So many have been Trump supporters.”
It didn’t cease there, as Feig mentioned Trump, who went on to develop into the U.S. president, solely added gas to the hearth along with his rhetoric.
“Then Trump got here out towards us,” the Jackpot! director mentioned. “He was like, “They’re remaking Indiana Jones with out Harrison Ford. You’ll be able to’t do this. And now they’re making Ghostbusters with solely girls. What’s occurring?” and obtained all upset.”
Feig continued, “All people went fucking cannibal. It turned the film right into a political assertion, as if to say, ‘If you happen to’re pro-women, you’re going to go see this. If you happen to’re not, then …’ I didn’t suppose it mattered in any respect that the primary characters have been girls, however individuals introduced lots of baggage.”
The Easy Favor filmmaker additionally defined why he opted for a Ghostbusters reboot fairly than a sequel to the unique 1984 and 1989 movies, which starred Invoice Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts.
“Invoice [Murray] had publicly mentioned he didn’t wish to do one other Ghostbusters at that time,” Feig recalled. “Harold Ramis had died. Dan and Ernie have been there, however half the group felt bizarre. It had been 30 years and Invoice and the gang have been so iconic; I didn’t wish to do something that damage the unique films.”