'Ghostbusters' Remake Will Star a Female Cast, What This Means for Us and for Film

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   One of the most beloved comedies of the 1980's, Ghostbusters has a quite a loyal fan base, to say the least, which might explain the wide range of reactions to the announcement that the remake of Ghostbusters (set to be released in the summer of 2016) will star an all-female cast, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat). 

   The decision to use women as the leads has been praised by some (including Dan Aykroyd) and criticized by others (such as Donald Trump). 

   When it comes to remaking popular, older movies, there are usually bound to be outcries against what some believe to be the desecration of a wonderful piece of cinema. And the original Ghostbusters is wonderful, but we should celebrate what this revamp might mean for the rest of the movie world.  

   Of course, one of the reasons we take such note of this remake is because it is so different-looking from the original, and we would still be surprised if someone remade a movie with a previously all-female cast and gave it an all-male cast. But, what we should be so happy about, is that it is making an effort to normalize movies with multiple, strong female leads, who are not highly objectified, who are given important tasks, and who can be funny-- roles that were historically reserved for men. 

   While this remake not only has the potential to breathe new life into a classic, it is also a sign that we are starting to rethink about what women mean to film, what they can and can't be.     

   

   It is true that we are seeing more and more complex, heroic female characters in modern movies, but the fact that we are still taken aback when we see them is evidence of a persisting inequality among the sexes in the movie industry. Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) confronts this inequality in a speech where he chronicles his replies to reporters who ask him, "Why do you write such strong female characters?" He most famously says: "Because you're still asking me that question." We take note when we see strong women, yet male-dominated movies are much more common, and we don't seem to notice as much when women are absent. According to a study published by the New York Film Academy in 2013, less than one-third of speaking roles belong to women, yet they make up half of movie-goers and half of the population. 

   I'm not saying we need to remake every old movie and put females in the lead, and I'm not saying this film is guaranteed to be a success. What I am saying is that we should rejoice, as movie-goers and as a society, that we are redefining women's role in film; we are becoming more comfortable with giving them roles that were previously thought of as solely male. We haven't reached equality yet, but this remake gives us hope for movies to come.