Melissa McCarthy is the lead Ghostbuster, all hail Melissa McCarthy
Director Paul Feig sat down with IGN to discuss his upcoming all-female Ghostbusters reboot and somehow managed to make us even more excited about this movie. For the record, we were already really, really excited.
In January, Feig announced his frighteningly (this adverb choice is hilarious, you see, because ghosts) funny cast: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. SNL alum Wiig is no doubt the ensemble’s biggest star — and, according to Feig, her character serves as the audience’s entry point into the group — but another performer will take charge on screen, he says:
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…Melissa is sort of the leader of the group. But everybody will be equal. I just love a deep bench like this. Every one of those women is so strong and so funny.
In 2011, McCarthy won an Emmy for her role on CBS’ Mike & Molly — an honor that, no shade, was almost definitely a direct result of how incredibly funny she was in Bridesmaids, in which she co-starred with Wiig that same year.
Feig also shrugged off reports that Sony Pictures will pursue additional Ghostbusters franchises, including another updated take on the 1984 comedy starring Channing Tatum.
“We’re just doing our thing,” Feig said. “I can’t let that affect me, and again, I don’t even know how real it is. All I care about is my four ladies.”
Molly Fitzpatrick is senior editor of Fusion’s Pop & Culture section. Her interests include movies about movies, TV shows about TV shows, and movies about TV shows, but not so much TV shows about movies.