“Ghostbusters” director Paul Feig used a promotional interview to blast “middle-aged men” just days before the troubled film’s July 15 release in North America.
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s all-female version of the 1984 classic has had a contentious battle with male critics for over a year. Mr. Feig, who tweeted “go f**k yourself” to critics in September 2015, used an interview on Tuesday to express similar sentiments.
Mr. Feig told The Daily Beast he was thrilled to see little girls showing interest in the movie before he jabbed at potential male customers.
“It’s so funny,” the director said. “With all the angst and stuff and everybody getting yelled at by middle-aged men for two years now — whose new favorite thing is, ’Well, my wife thinks it looks terrible!’ Like, ’See, I’m legit!’ — you forget there’s a new generation we’re trying to make this for, too. Why can’t these boys and girls have these new heroes?”
The latest broadside against male critics comes just over one month since Hollywood producer and director Judd Apatow likened them to supporters of billionaire Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“I would assume there’s a very large crossover of people who are doubtful ’Ghostbusters’ will be great and people excited about the Donald Trump candidacy,” Mr. Apatow told Uproxx on June 1. “It’s not like anybody really cares about a couple of idiots who hold onto the idea that things never evolve.”
Sony Pictures has a lot riding on “Ghostbusters” due to a budget of roughly $150 million. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon.
The entertainment website Rotten Tomatoes rates the film as “48 percent rotten” among its top critics as of Tuesday.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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