Bill Murray Says Making GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE Was Fun, but Wearing the Proton Pack Is "Really Torture"

Bill Murray is returning to the role of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and he had a blast reuniting with the original cast, as well as the newcomers from the last film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). While Murray is appreciative that he has made a series of films that has remained popular and beloved to its fanbase, there are some difficult aspects of filming a Ghostbusters movie 40 years after the first one.

In a recent interview with the cast on CBS This Morning (via cinemablend), Murray talked about the ups and downs of filming this movie, saying:

“I’m thinking it’s fun that we’ve made something that’s lasted this long. That’s really kind of the best part of it, of seeing it as a movie, as a worker. But the most fun is seeing these people. That’s when we get together, and we remember the pain of before, and the fun of before, and the pain and the fun of the future.”

When asked to clarify what he meant by the "pain" of it, Bill Murray didn’t hesitate before calling out the proton packs as the source of his woes. He continued:

“Wearing the damn packs. The packs were uncomfortable. They’re really heavy and, you know, wearing the pack a long time ago was miserable. Wearing the pack now is like torture. It’s really torture. But we’d laugh about how we’d finish a take and then have to walk up a flight of stairs or something, and we’d just stare at each other like — [shakes head incredulously] — ‘This is the end, this is the final one, this is it, right?’ And not the final movie, the final take.”

As Bill Murray talked about the wardrobe issue, Dan Aykroyd, who plays Ray Stantz in the films, sat beside his co-star with his lips pinched in a tight smile, nodding ever so slightly in agreement.

Actress Mckenna Grace, who plays Phoebe Spengler in the film, also talked about the hardship of wearing the proton pack in a recent interview, saying:

"As heavy as those frickin’ proton packs are, I would gladly put one on again. The proton packs weigh around 40 pounds, but I’m fine with that because it’s been a dream come true to be part of this franchise. I love these films. I love getting to be a Ghostbuster. I mean, who are you gonna call? This guy! Me."

And even Annie Potts, who plays Janine Melnitz in the films, is getting to suit up this time! We will get to see all the Ghostbusters in all their proton pack-wearing glory starting this weekend! Do you have your tickets yet?