Posted in: Ghostbusters, Movies, Sony, TV | Tagged: Ernie Hudson, ghostbusters

Ghostbusters: Ernie Hudson Discusses Legacy, Wanting "Open" Franchise

Ernie Hudson (Boston Blue) spoke with us about opening up the Ghostbusters universe to include a series, the franchise's legacy, and more.

Ernie Hudson will forever be grateful for the way his career was elevated by the Ghostbusters franchise, playing the blue-collar hired hand-turned-successful entrepreneur, Winston Zeddemore, since the original film, written by Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis and directed by the late Ivan Reitman. Since the 1984 film's release, it's spawned three sequels in 1989's Ghostbusters 2, 2021's Afterlife, and 2024'sFrozen Empire, and the 2016 remake has been rebranded Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. As far as expanding it to TV, there have been three animated shows that are part of the canon, but surprisingly, nothing ever expanded on the live-action front, which would be especially ripe in the age of streaming. While promoting his upcoming CBS police procedural drama Boston Blue, Hudson spoke to Bleeding Cool about whether Sony had any interest in a live-action series where the three surviving cast members' characters' narratives that includes Aykroyd's Ray Stantz and Bill Murray's Peter Venkman would be explored similar to Ramis's Egon Spengler was for the 2021 and 2024 films, the ideas the actor had around Ivan Reitman and his son, Jason Reitman (who directed Afterlife and Frozen Empire) to expand the franchise.

Ghostbusters Star Ernie Hudson Reflects on Franchise Success, Ideas to Expand on Future

I'm glad you're back doing new films for the Ghostbusters franchise since we had the three films over the past nine years. I love what they do with Winston and the last two films with Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024). Since many of the classic IPs are being re-explored for TV, and I know there were a few animated shows, I was wondering if there was ever any talk to expand Ghostbusters to the live-action TV space with you, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray. Perhaps we could explore the families of the Zeddemores, Stantzes, and Venkmans since we got two films with the Spenglers?

It hasn't been any serious discussion about that with me, and I'm usually the last guy to find out, but I've talked to [director] Jason Reitman, and you know, made some suggestions. I love the Spangler family, but the possibilities are much more open than locking it in this way. But once again, it's a very valued franchise and the people (at Sony) who make those decisions. They have a game plan. I know there's an animated series that they're doing, but I think, regarding Ghostbusters, it's time to chart new territory, and it will be fun to see that happen. Who are these characters? We know that Winston has done well for himself, but he has a family. It's a whole universe; I'd love to see that Ghostbusters universe open. Also, I always felt the ghosts that we have this special equipment, we can go and capture them and do that stuff, but also, they influence our lives on this plane in a way that's when they're negative spirits. That shows up in other ways, and I'd like to see that connection so it's much more. I don't know. It's just a lot of levels that it could go on, but again, nobody's answering my opinion. I called Jason. "I got an idea!" But how far does that go? I have no idea.

I remember reading about how you looked at the original script (from the 1984 film originally written for Eddie Murphy) before it became that final version. I would do anything to hear at least you guys do like a table read of that original script, because I want to hear the original incarnation come to life.

I would love to as well, you know, I was talking to Ivan Reitman a little before he passed, and over the years, we formed a strong friendship, and he says, "I don't remember." I go, "Ivan, how do you not remember?" I don't know if there's a script out there. I don't have it, but I'd love to. I'd look for the fans to see it, and to me, when I look at the movie now with my grandkids and great grandkids, it's a perfect little movie the way it is. At the time, certainly for my character, there were a lot more layers and a lot more interesting stuff to do, but it is what it is, and I'm so blessed and thankful to be a part of that franchise. I would love to see, I don't know who, I know the Reitman family, but I'd love to expand. I'd love to see Ivan's daughter (Catherine Reitman), who's a wonderful director. I would love to see her direct something (in it), but what the studio has planned for it, I'd say I'm the last guy that they talk to.

Boston Blue, which also stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Donnie Wahlberg, Maggie Lawson, Gloria Reuben, Marcus Scribner, and Mika Amonsen, premieres on October 17th on CBS with new episodes on Fridays.

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