Though you really can't put a price tag on things like pure bliss and eternal happiness, Paul Feig certainly tried. Feig's original deal with Sony occurred during the Amy Pascal era and placed the price of bliss — i.e. the forthcoming all-female Ghostbusters reboot/sequel — at a paltry $169 million. You likely recall Amy Pascal's name from those unfortunate emails which leaked surrounding the bizarre moment in American pop culture wherein even your great grandmother probably knew a thing or two about James Franco and Seth Rogen, and that is pretty much why she's no longer calling the shots at Sony.
Pascal's replacement Tom Rothman reportedly pushed for a $150 million Ghostbusters, a reduction to which Feig oh so punk-rockishly denied by delivering a slightly refined script allowing for a $154 million compromise. According to THR, a significant portion of this budget is tied up in payments to Melissa McCarthy ($14 million) and Feig (supposedly "north of" $10 million).
However, logic suggests that there is no price too high for bringing more Ghostbusters into the world — a world rife with largely awful attempts at the oft-botched art of the reboot. Feig's Ghostbusters has real promise, and until we get the news that all 7 billion of us are waiting on (a Good Burger sequel), this film remains our sole hope for the future of revisited classics.
