Ghostbusters 2016 Movie Production Notes

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Feig's reputation for directing sharp comedies starring the greatest female comedians working today - in genres usually dominated by male actors - has made him one of the outstanding directorial voices in film comedy. However, for Feig and his actors, it's all about bringing the comedy and making a motion picture that will entertain as many people as possible.

"Paul makes me laugh so much," says Wiig of Feig, who also directed her in the Oscar®-nominated film, Bridesmaids, which Wiig co-wrote with Annie Mumolo. "We have a very similar sense of humor in what makes us crack up. Once we start we can't stop."

"I found Paul to be fatherly as a director - his demeanor is so calm, accepting, and loving in all moments. I never saw one shred of frustration or disappointment," says McKinnon. "He is just the most supportive person, who can pat you on the back, while somehow nudging you in the right direction. But something you might not know about Paul Feig is that he's an action freak. He loves the stuff! So he really went hard after the comedy, hard after the action, and hard after the real human friendships encased within this whole universe. And that's why he was the perfect director for this movie. No one else could have nailed that tone."

Of course, Feig is gaining a reputation as much for his sartorial choices as for his skill with comedy: the director wears a bespoke suit every day (even when directing in the heat and humidity of a Boston summer). "He's Dapper Dan!" says Leslie Jones. "That dude can dress. His most formal moment and his most casual moment are the same thing. I think his pajamas are probably a suit."


ABOUT THE CAST

MELISSA MCCARTHY (Abby Yates) received an Academy Award® nomination for her role as Megan in the worldwide hit comedy Bridesmaids. This film was directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow. She also received BAFTA, Critics' Choice, and SAG Award nominations for this role and won the MTV Movie Award for Comedic Performance of the Year. McCarthy has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has placed her hand and footprints in the cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre.

McCarthy recently starred in the hit film Spy for director Paul Feig, for which she received a People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination, and a Critics' Choice Award nomination. In 2014, McCarthy starred in St. Vincent opposite Bill Murray, for which she received a Critics' Choice Award nomination, and in Tammy, which she co-wrote with her actor/writer husband Ben Falcone, who also served as the film's director. She received a People's Choice Award for this role. McCarthy's previous film credits include The Heat opposite Sandra Bullock for director Paul Feig, Identity Thief alongside Jason Bateman, This is 40 for director Judd Apatow, and Todd Phillips' The Hangover Part III. McCarthy more recently starred in The Boss, which she co-wrote with Falcone, who again directed.

McCarthy's additional feature film work includes The Back-Up Plan, Life as We Know It, Pretty Ugly People, Just Add Water, The Nines, White Oleander, Pumpkin, and Go, directed by Doug Liman. Additionally, she starred in John August's short film God as a young woman having a gossipy phone conversation and short-lived spat with The Almighty. She also appeared in The Life of David Gale, starring Kevin Spacey.

On television, McCarthy starred as the clumsy culinary genius Sookie St. James in "Gilmore Girls" and Dena in the series "Samantha Who?" McCarthy won an Emmy Award and People's Choice Award for starring as Molly on the hit CBS comedy "Mike & Molly" and directed several episodes of the series. She has also received Emmy nominations for guest hosting "Saturday Night Live," which she has hosted multiple times.

A native of Illinois, McCarthy first made her mark on the comedy stage performing standup in New York at The Duplex, The Improv, and Stand-Up New York. At the same time, she studied the Meisner Technique under Michael Harney and then continued her dramatic training at The Actors Studio. McCarthy starred in a variety of stage productions throughout the city. In Los Angeles, she spent nine years as a main-stage member of the world renowned improv and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings.

McCarthy recently launched her clothing line "Melissa McCarthy Seven7" to rave reviews. The clothing is sold in stores across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and on her website MelissaMcCarthy.com. She will also release an upper tier clothing line called "Melissa McCarthy" in upcoming seasons.

McCarthy resides in Los Angeles.


KRISTEN WIIG (Erin Gilbert) has become one of the industry's most versatile actresses of her generation. From her breakout performance on "Saturday Night Live" to the Oscar®-nominated film Bridesmaids, Wiig has transitioned from television to film as a writer and producer. In 2012, Time magazine honored Wiig in their esteemed Time 100 issue, and in 2009, Entertainment Weekly acknowledged her as one of the top 15 great performers for her work on "Saturday Night Live." Wiig has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards, a SAG Award, and received her first Oscar® nomination for co-writing Bridesmaids. Currently, Wiig and her Bridesmaids writing partner, Annie Mumolo, are writing a comedy feature film together, which they will both star in.

Most recently, Wiig was confirmed to star in Alexander Payne's social satire Downsizing, alongside Matt Damon and Christoph Waltz. Paramount Pictures will release the film on December 25, 2017.

This past winter, Wiig starred in Zoolander 2, alongside Ben Stiller (who also directed), Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson. Written by Justin Theroux and produced by Scott Rudin, Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld, the film was released by Paramount Pictures on February 12, 2016.

In 2015, Wiig starred in Twentieth Century Fox's and Ridley Scott's Golden Globe winning and Oscar®-nominated film The Martian, alongside Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon. Wiig also starred in Sebastian Silva's Nasty Baby. Written and directed by Silva (Crystal Fairy), Nasty Baby screened at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and was released by The Orchard.

Also in 2015, Wiig starred in the critically-acclaimed Sony Pictures Classics drama The Diary of a Teenage Girl, directed by Marielle Heller. Wiig appeared opposite Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgard in the coming of age story, based on the graphic novel written and illustrated by Phoebe Gloeckner. The story follows a teenage artist living in 1970s San Francisco who enters into an affair with her mother's (Wiig) boyfriend. The Diary of a Teenage Girl screened at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Sony Pictures Classics in August 2015. Wiig also starred in Alchemy's drama Welcome to Me, directed by Shira Piven (Fully Loaded) and produced by Wiig and Gary Sanchez productions. The film screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. In July, Wiig appeared as Courtney in the Netflix prequel Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. In June, Wiig starred alongside Will Ferrell in the Lifetime dramatic thriller "A Deadly Adoption."

In 2014, Wiig starred in the IFC film Hateship Loveship, which was directed by Liza Johnson and also starred Guy Pearce, Nick Nolte, and Hailee Steinfeld. The film is based on the short story by the Nobel Prize winning Canadian author Alice Munro. Also in 2014, Wiig starred in the critically-acclaimed The Skeleton Twins, directed by Craig Johnson, opposite Bill Hader and Luke Wilson. The film screened at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate released the film in September 2014.

Wiig received an Emmy nomination for her performance opposite Tobey Maguire and Tim Robbins in the epic IFC television miniseries spoof "The Spoils of Babylon," written and directed by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele and executive produced by Will Ferrell. "The Spoils of Babylon" was one of the highest-rated debuts ever on IFC television. Wiig received a SAG nomination for her performance in the second season, titled "Spoils Before Dying," which IFC premiered in July 2015.

At Christmas 2013, Wiig starred in the Twentieth Century Fox drama The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, opposite Ben Stiller, who also produced and directed the film, based on the 1939 short story by James Thurber. Wiig also starred in the box office smash Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, portraying Chani Lastname opposite Steve Carell. Wiig also voiced the character of SexyKitten in the Oscar®-nominated film Her.

In 2012, Wiig finished her seventh and final season as a cast member on NBC's revered show "Saturday Night Live." During her time on "SNL," Wiig received four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, playing such memorable characters as the excitable Target Lady, Lawrence Welk singer Doonese, the irritating one-upper Penelope, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Suze Orman. In 2013, Wiig was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her return as a host on the show earlier that year. Also in 2012, Wiig voiced the character of Lucy in the Oscar®-nominated Despicable Me 2 opposite Steve Carell.

In 2011, Wiig starred in the critically acclaimed breakout film Bridesmaids, which she co-wrote with Annie Mumolo, and for which they were nominated for an Academy Award®, a Writers Guild of America Award, and a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay. Directed by Paul Feig and produced by Wiig and Judd Apatow, Bridesmaids is Apatow's highest-grossing production and is the top R-rated female comedy of all time. Wiig was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Lead Actress in a Comedy or Musical, along with the film being nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. Bridesmaids also received a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Other film credits include Apatow's Knocked Up; Girl Most Likely; Friends With Kids, written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt; Greg Mottola's Paul and Adventureland; All Good Things, with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst; Macgruber alongside Will Forte; Mike Judge's Extract with Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck; Drew Barrymore's Whip It; Ghost Town; and Walk Hard (another Apatow-produced film in which she starred opposite John C. Reilly). Voice acting credits include the Cartoon Network's "The Looney Toons Show," for which Wiig received an Emmy nomination, Fox's "The Simpsons" and the animated feature films Despicable Me (1 and 2) and How To Train Your Dragon (1 and 2) - She will also lend her voice for the third installment (releasing in June 2018). Wiig has also guest-starred in the NBC television series "30 Rock," HBO's "Bored To Death," Netflix's "Arrested Development," Comedy Central's "Drunk History" and IFC's "Flight of The Conchords" and "Portlandia."

A native of Rochester, New York, Wiig began her career as a main company member of the Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy group, The Groundlings. Wiig currently resides in Los Angeles.

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