Mindy Kaling Predicted Female-Centric ‘Ghostbusters’ Controversy 5 Years Ago
Zack Sharf
Another day, another “Ghostbusters” female-reboot controversy story, though this one humorously puts into perspective just how sad and ridiculous the entire backlash over the film has been. The team over at HitFix has discovered that none other than Mindy Kaling predicted the controversy that would erupt over a female-fronted reboot nearly five years ago when she included the idea in her 2011 memoir “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).”
READ MORE: ‘Ghostbusters’: Paul Feig Defends Female-Fronted Reboot Against Internet ‘A**holes’
In a chapter entitled “Franchises I Would Like To Reboot,” Kaling makes the pitch:
“I always wanted the reboot of ‘Ghostbusters’ to be four girl-ghostbusters. Like, four normal, plucky women living in New York City searching for Mr. Right and trying to find jobs — but who also bust ghosts. I’m not an idiot, though. I know the demographic for Ghostbusters is teenage boys, and I know they would kill themselves if two ghostbusters had a makeover at Sephora. I just have always wanted to see a cool girl having her first kiss with a guy she’s had a crush on, and then have to excuse herself to go trap the pissed-off ghosts of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire or something. In my imagination, I am, of course, one of the ghostbusters, with the likes of say, Emily Blunt, Taraji Henson, and Natalie Portman. Even if I’m not the ringleader, I’m definitely the one who gets to say, ‘I ain’t afraid a no ghost.’ At least the first time.”
Unfortunately, even Kaling’s prediction is a bit mild, for teenage boys and grownup Internet trolls alike have been out in full force ever since the project was announced in August 2014. The debut trailer sent haters into a frenzy, despite the fact that nobody has actually seen the finished project yet.
The sad part about all of this is how even five years ago one could’ve predicted the backlash a female reboot would face, truly showing how backwards movie fandom continues to be. As a result, director Paul Feig and the cast have had to spend much of the publicity tour on damage control trying to assure everyone that, yes, women can be funny and make an amazing “Ghostbusters” movie.
As incredible as Kaling’s pitch sounds (we would love to see Henson and Portman bust some ghosts), the reboot does have four of the funniest women on the planet in Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The film opens nationwide on July 15.
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