Harold Ramis (Egon from 'Ghostbusters') dead at 69

Harold Ramis was one of Hollywood’s most successful comedy filmmakers when he moved his family from Los Angeles back to the Chicago area in 1996. His career was still thriving, with "Groundhog Day" acquiring almost instant classic status upon its 1993 release and 1984's "Ghostbusters" ranking among the highest-grossing comedies of all time, but the writer-director wanted to return to the city where he’d launched his career as a Second City performer.

"There's a pride in what I do that other people share because I'm local, which in L.A. is meaningless; no one's local," Ramis said upon the launch of the first movie he directed after his move, the 1999 mobster-in-therapy comedy "Analyze This," another hit. "It's a good thing. I feel like I represent the city in a certain way."

Ramis, a longtime North Shore resident, was surrounded by family when he died at 12:53 a.m. from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels, his wife Erica Mann Ramis said. He was 69.

Ramis' serious health struggles began in May 2010 with an infection that led to complications related to the autoimmune disease, his wife said. Ramis had to relearn to walk but suffered a relapse of the vasculitis in late 2011, said Laurel Ward, vice president of development at Ramis' Ocean Pictures production company.

More at the Chicago Tribune

Bill Murray says no to Ghostbusters 3

From Vulture:

What's Bill Murray afraid of? Ghosts, apparently: Though long courted for a role in Ghostbusters 3, Murray has flat out refused to sign on, says Dan Aykroyd. "At this point [the movie is] in suspended animation," Aykroyd tells the Telegraph. "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 [but] I can’t be mad at him." Though Aykroyd insists that he's "not going to do a movie that exploits the franchise," he admits that he may recast Murray's role if that's what it takes.

I say with a decent script and remaining cast, they should shoot the movie with a CGI Murray.  Or he could somehow be a ghost?  Get me on the phone with Aykroyd please!

Who you gonna call?

Wait for the end, or if you're too impatient click here.

Dan Aykroyd on Ghostbusters 3

From ComingSoon.net:

"Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray," he says, "That is our hope. We have an excellent script. What we have to remember is that 'Ghostbusters' is bigger than any one component, although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributive to it in a massive way, as was the director and Harold [Ramis], myself and Sigourney [Weaver]. The concept is much larger than any individual role and the promise of 'Ghostbusters 3' is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood."

The comedian also confirmed reports that the plot will revolve around a new generation of Ghostbusters and hinted at the states of his and Ramis' characters.

"My character, Ray, is now blind in one eye and can't drive the cadillac," he says, "He's got a bad knee and can't carry the packs... Egon is too large to get into the harness. We need young blood and that's the promise. We're gonna hand it to a new generation."

As for who might be cast as the new characters, Aykroyd says that, while no decision has been made, he does have a fondness for one piece of prospective casting.

"I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler from the 'Criminal Minds' show," he adds, "But there's going to be a casting. We're going to see everyone that wants to do it. We're going to need... three guys and a young woman."