Actor Bill Murray will appear in the upcoming installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Murray’s iconic role as Dr. Peter Venkman in the original Ghostbusters film in 1984 was reprised in the classic’s sequel, Ghostbusters II in 1989. The latest casting news comes a surprise after Murray has publicly expressed discomfort and hesitancy about being a part of the next female-led Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig.
“This is my nightmare,” he told David Letterman earlier this year. When pressed about his involvement with the upcoming Ghostbusters, Murray dismissed speculation of his potential involvement as “crazy talk.”
The next Ghostbusters co-stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. It’s slated to come to theaters in July 2016.
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Write to Tanya Basu at tanya.basu@time.com