O.G. Ghostbuster Dan Akroyd Saw New 'Ghostbusters,' Says It's Funnier Than the Originals

Dan Akroyd, aka Dr. Ray Stantz in the original "Ghostbusters," says that the much hated-on reboot is actually funnier than the original films.

Image via Columbia Pictures

Will a cosign from one of the only dudes to ever sport a proton pack onscreen help tone down some of the hate for the new Ghostbusters movie? Does Dan Akroyd, aka Dr. Raymond Stantz in the universally beloved 1984 Ghostbusters and its universally tolerated 1989 sequel, really love the new version, or is he hardcore trolling old-school fans?

We won't know until we actually see the rebooted Ghostbusters, but Akroyd says he has already seen an advance screening of the comedy starring Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy—and he's giving it a glowing review on his Facebook page.

So Akroyd says it has "more laughs" than the original. That's a huge deal coming from they guy who created the entire franchise.  Don't forget, it was Akroyd's idea for a Ghostbusters movie starring John Belushi that was pitched to director Ivan Reitman, before Akroyd and Harold Ramis (who played Dr. Egon Spengler) wrote the script.

Akroyd's mini review also bodes well for Bill Murray fans, since saying that Murray "is in it" seems to imply Murray's cameo will be sizable. Old school stars Akroyd, Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Ernie Hudson are all reportedly expected to turn up in the new movie in some form.

It's safe to say that the new movie could really use this kind of boost. Tt has had unprecedented levels of hate thrown at it ever since the trailer (now the most disliked movie trailer on all of  YouTube) dropped. McCarthy defended herself against that hate in a profile published by The Guardian over the weekend.

"All those comments -- 'You're ruining my childhood!' I mean, really," McCarthy says drily. "Four women doing any movie on earth will destroy your childhood?" She shrugs. "I have a visual of those people ... not having friends, so they're just sitting there and spewing hate into this fake world of the internet. I just hope they find a friend."

Ghostbusters hits theaters on July 15.

Latest in Pop Culture