Why Ghostbusters Star Rick Moranis Turned Down a Cameo in the Remake

The Ghostbusters remake is now in post-production, in advance of its release next summer. There has been lots of publicity about the original stars who have filmed cameos for the film--Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd are among the former cast members due to make appearances. One name notable by its absence, however, was Rick Moranis, who played the hapless Louis Tully in the 1984 classic.

Now Moranis has spoken about his decision not to return for the all-new Ghostbusters. Moranis, who largely left the film industry in the late 1990s to focus upon family life, told The Hollywood Reporter: "I wish them well. I hope it's terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?"

With the exception of occasional voice work, Moranis quit acting in 1997 to raise his children after the death of his wife Ann. "I took a break, which turned into a longer break," he explained. "But I'm interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role and as soon as one comes along that piques my interest, I'll probably do it. [But Ghostbusters] didn't appeal to me."

The new film will feature an all-female Ghostbusting team, played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. It is directed by Bridesmaids' Paul Feig and will be released on July 16, 2016.