'Ghostbusters 3' Filming In 2012, With Or Without Bill Murray

Dan Aykroyd Wants To Cross Streams Again

When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Well, that would be Dan Aykroyd. The actor confirmed this week that Ghostbusters 3 will begin filming next year ... even though star Bill Murray has not signed on.

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In an interview on the Dennis Miller radio show last week, Aykroyd (who played parapsychologist Ray Stantz in the classic '80s sci fi comedy) said the script is ready to go, the green light has been given and all actors are on board. Except Bill Murray.

"Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray," Aykroyd said. "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 script for the upcoming sequel was penned by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, the writing team behind TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and the American version of The Office.

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Akroyd, 59, went on to reveal details about the film's plot, including how the famous ghoul police are faring in middle age.

"My character, Ray, is now blind in one eye and can't drive the cadillac," he said. "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."

So while Ray and Egon have their proton packs locked and loaded, Peter Venkman (Murray) is still a no-show. Murray has said publicly before that the only way he would do another Ghostbusters film is if his character is killed off in the first scene.

Let's hope, for Ghostbusters fans at least, Mr. Murray has a change of heart.