Paul Feig recalls Donald Trump's role in fueling backlash against women-led 'Ghostbusters'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Paul Feig, director of the 2016 'Ghostbusters' reboot, has spoken out about the immense backlash his film faced, claiming that the political climate, largely influenced by Donald Trump, played a significant role in the controversy.

Feig’s all-female-led reboot of the iconic supernatural comedy was met with widespread criticism, and much of it, according to the director, was rooted in misogyny.

As he recalls, Trump himself added fuel to the fire, sparking a heated debate that turned his film into a political battleground, as per Entertainment Weekly.

Paul Feig blames Donald Trump for backlash towards 2016 'Ghostbusters' reboot

In a recent interview with The Guardian promoting his latest film, 'Jackpot', Paul Feig discussed the hostility surrounding the 'Ghostbusters' reboot, as well as the role Donald Trump played in fanning the flames of criticism.

Feig’s 'Ghostbusters' reboot was intended to be a fresh take on the classic 1984 film, but instead, it became a focal point for online harassment and heated debate.

"The political climate of the time was really weird, with Hillary Clinton running for office in 2016," Feig said, reflecting on the cultural context in which the film was released. "There were a lot of dudes looking for a fight."

Feig points out that much of the backlash originated from Trump supporters.

"When I was getting piled on, on Twitter, I'd go back and see who they were. So many were Trump supporters," he said.

The timing of the release of 'Ghostbusters' coincided with one of the most divisive election cycles in US history, with Hillary Clinton becoming the first female candidate to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.

In Feig’s eyes, this added fuel to the misogynistic campaign against the film, as it became a target for those who opposed the growing visibility of women in traditionally male-dominated roles.

What made matters worse, according to Feig, was Trump himself.

"Then Trump came out against us," Feig explained, recounting how the then-presidential candidate expressed his disdain for the gender-swapped 'Ghostbusters'.

"He was like: ‘They’re remaking Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford. You can’t do that. And now they’re making Ghostbusters with only women. What’s going on?’ and got all upset."

Feig believes Trump’s comments amplified the already-existing animosity toward the film, turning it into a political issue. "Everybody went f***ing cannibal. It turned the movie into a political statement, as if to say: 'If you're pro-women, you're going to go see this. If you're not, then…'" Feig said.

"I didn't think it mattered at all that the main characters were women, but people brought a lot of baggage," Feig concluded.

Paul Feig's recent comments about Donald Trump spark backlash online

With Paul Feig’s recent comments about Donald Trump, social media users were quick to weigh in on the debate, many of whom were slamming Feig.

One person remarked, "This won't cover up the film being terrible and the writing being extraordinarily s**t." Another said, "The movie was a** regardless of what Trump said. Cry more." "The movie was trash and hurt the franchise - a Ghostbusters day one fan," wrote one person.

Another added, "I absolutely hate Trump. The female version was a disgrace. It cared more about being the 'female Ghostbusters' than just being a new good Ghostbusters film." One individual wrote, "Or maybe the movie was just terrible. Not everything has to be Trump’s fault."

Another pointed out, "No Paul. The movie was just completely honking. The only good thing about being that it was so bad, it was probably the motivation behind the new sequals being made." One netizen remarked, "Also, the movie was dumpster juice."

 

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