Dan Aykroyd defends 'Ghostbusters 3' script

Dan Aykroyd has defended the script for Ghostbusters 3 following recent criticism from Bill Murray.

Murray suggested that the screenplay, by Office duo Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, was "a crock" and caused the sequel to vapourise. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Aykroyd said that he is now working on the script and claimed it will give Murray "the comic role of a lifetime".

He said: "I think he was concerned that the writing on Ghostbusters 3 by these guys would not be up to standard, but I can tell you firsthand, I’m working on the script now and those two - Stupnitsky and Eisenberg - wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime, and the new Ghostbusters and the old are all well represented in it.

"We have a strong first draft that Harold [Ramis] and I will take back, and I’m very excited about working on it."

Aykroyd also shed light on the fate of his character Ray Stantz, adding: "My character’s eyesight is shot, I got a bad knee, a bad hip - I can't drive that caddy anymore or lift that Psychotron Accelerator anymore - it’s too heavy.

"We need young legs, new minds - new Ghostbusters. So I'm in essence passing the torch to the new regime, and you know what? That’s totally okay with me."