Ghostbusters 3 Left Covered In Sticky Ectoplasm As Bill Murray Pulls Out

Remember ages ago we told you that Bill Murray might actually sign on to do Ghostbusters 3 despite still actually having a career and a modicum of respect in Hollywood? Well, fear not. He's gone and ruined Dan Aykroyd's dream of a reunion by deciding not to do it. Again.

Still, fans of the series will no doubt be pleased to hear that they might finally leave the franchise to die, instead of repeatedly kicking it while it tries to catch its breath. Let it be noted that hecklerspray will not condone jokes about how a franchise about ghosts will never really die and will just keep coming back to life until they are properly secured in a Ghost Trap.

Dan Aykroyd, a man who isn't averse to doing terrible sequels (remember Blues Brothers 2000?), told The Telegraph that it was a "surety that Bill Murray will not do the movie" and that the film was now left in "suspended animation". Presumably in the vague hope that someone crosses the streams and the sheer force of the explosion rewires Murray's synapses and leaves him wanting to do the film.

It's not surprising that Murray's lack of involvement puts the film on the skids. Can anyone really imagine Dr Peter Venkman, parapsychologist and saviour of New York City being written out of the franchise and replaced with Shia LeBoeuf? Not that something like that was ever on the cards; we just wanted hardcore Ghostbusters fans to spend some time thinking about the consequences of going on without him.

Aykroyd- whose last film role was as the voice of Yogi Bear (no, seriously)- said:

"The studio, the director Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis feel there must be a way to do it, but Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn't want to be involved. He's got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He's into this life and living it. I know we'd have a lot of fun.. I can't be mad at him. He's a friend first, a colleague second. We have a deep personal relationship that transcends business and he doesn't want to know."

Nothing says 'dickhead' like a man enjoying the fruits of his labours. Still, it's hard to fault Bill Murray's logic especially when you consider that he recently played in a Pro Am dressed in a sniper's ghillie suit and has just completed work on yet another Wes Anderson film. Who wouldn't prefer to be doing that?

Still, Dan Aykroyd definitely hasn't gone mental.

Or maybe he has…