When plans for a female-led Ghostbusters reboot were announced, plenty of people were very excited. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones? How could that be anything short of utterly hilarious?
But according to Wiig, the movie immediately sparked controversy and received negative attention due to its all-female cast.
“The fact there was so much controversy because we were women was surprising to me,” the Saturday Night Live alum said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “Some people said some really not nice things about the fact that there were women.”
Director Paul Feig has had a similar experience. Last year, he told EW, “I just don’t understand why it’s ever an issue anymore. I’ve promoted both Bridesmaids and The Heat and myself and my cast are still hit constantly with the question, ‘will this answer the question of whether women can be funny?’ I really cannot believe we’re still having this conversation.”
As for Wiig, she says the controversy and negativity she noticed didn’t even make her mad — “it just really bummed me out. We’re really honoring those movies.”
Read next: Here Are First Photos of Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig From Ghostbusters Reboot Set
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