'Ghostbusters III' still on but Ivan Reitman steps down

Really starting to wish this whole idea would just go away.

Despite Bill Murray's refusal to be in the third film and Harold Ramis' untimely passing, Sony Pictures is going forward with Ghostbusters III.  Unfortunately, they will have to do it without the benefit of director Ivan Reitman.

"Deadline" reports that Reitman, who directed the first two Ghostbusters films, will step down as director.  However, he will remain on as a producer.  In an interview with "Deadline" Reitman talked very candidly about his decision:

It’s a version of Ghostbusters that has the originals in a very minor role. When I came back from Harold’s funeral, it was really moving and it made me think about a lot of things. I’d just finished directing Draft Day, which I’m really happy with and proud of. Working on a film that is smaller and more dramatic was so much fun and satisfying. I just finally met with Amy and Doug Belgrad when I got back. I said I’d been thinking about it for weeks, that I’d rather just produce this Ghostbusters. I told them I thought I could help but let’s find a really good director and make it with him. So that’s what we’ve agreed will happen. I didn’t want all kinds of speculation about what happened with me, that is the real story. It was such an amazing time in my life 30 years ago, and I felt that way on the second film.  With Harold no longer with us I couldn’t see it. It really seems to have resonated, an I think a lot of adults who saw it when they were younger have shown it to their kids and they seem to respond much the same way. Sony sees this as a huge worldwide opportunity, and it eager to make the film.

Dan Aykroyd and Etan Cohen have written the script and by all accounts the studio is very pleased with the result.  Reitman also states that the film will still be set in New York and that Sony hopes to begin filming this Fall but more than likely it will be early next year.

I guess it's a good sign that Reitman likes the script and I know the original Ghostbusters only have minor roles in this film, but I still don't know what to feel.  Although I freely admit I would watch another Ghostbusters movie, it's just not going to be the same.