Dan Aykroyd’s been singing this song for a while now. And even though the verses are always the same, it keeps getting sadder.

Ghostbusters is one of the greatest comedies of all-time, with a little something for everyone. It’s almost universally loved and celebrated amongst us all. Ghostbusters 2 was proof that the same chefs can’t always reproduce the same hearty meal (though it’s not as bad as some would lead you to believe*). And yet, when the rest of us are fast asleep in our homes, dreaming of racecars and sailboats, one man is out there working tirelessly to bring a third Ghostbusters to the masses. That man, that crusader, is Dan Aykroyd. And he has some bad news. Via Metro:

 Is Ghostbusters 3 finally happening?

Yes, we’ve got a brilliant new writer on it and we’ll be passing the torch on to a new generation. We’re working on it to make it just right to satisfy our fans. I’m confident we’ll be in production in the next year.

 Is Bill Murray doing it?

No, I can tell you he won’t be involved.

Bill Murray and his turns as Peter Venkman were integral to Ghostbusters’ success. He was the star of those films and carried more than his fair share of the load. If there’s a torch to be passed, it should be from him. But nothing about this film has ever sounded the least bit appealing, and losing their biggest star means losing whatever hopes they had of this film maintaining tentpole status. It’s not a Ghostbusters without Venkman, and it’s not a Reunion Tour just because Gene Simmons says so. You need Ace Frehley.

Aykroyd’s seemingly the only person beating this drum anymore. So I’m content lumping Ghostbusters 3 in with the Tron: Legacy 2 and Prometheus 2s of the world – movies that were announced that are never getting made. With Murray gone, a lot of the money will be too.

Then again, perhaps it’s finally Ernie Hudson’s time to shine.

*Viggo the Immortal. FTW.

Source: Collider