Katie Dippold, the cowriter of the new Ghostbusters movie.
Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of the original Ghostbusters movie than Katie Dippold, the cowriter of the all new 2016 version that premieres today. "I can't even count, I've seen it so many times," says the 36-year-old about the 1984 film. "I love horror comedy so much."
So, it doesn't come as a surprise that Dippold—who also wrote The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy—was concerned with getting the reboot of Ghostbusters just right. "[All I want] is for it to have the same fun spirit as the [original]," she says. And now that the most-anticipated film of summer 2016 is finally in theaters, Dippold is finally ready to breathe a sigh of relief. "If people can go and just have a fun time, that's all I can hope for."
It hasn't been a smooth ride for Dippold, director Paul Feig, or cast members Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones since the project was announced. The film faced ridiculous backlash from fans who criticized an "all-female" Ghostbusters, and then again when the trailer was released in March. Dippold, who honed her craft as a writer on Parks and Rec and MADtv, had only one response: Just do the work and make it as good as can be. But what was it like to co-write the movie? Which character is most like Dippold? And is the backlash the best thing that ever happened to the movie? She answers all that and more. Read on.
Glamour: A few months ago, you said that the movie is “genderless.” Explain.
Katie Dippold: I got asked a lot, "How is it different because they are females? What is going to be like since they are females?" To me, I’m a writer writing these new Ghostbusters. I don’t think of it as the female version. They’re people. Or maybe I just don’t see that I have a female slant on things. With Bridesmaids, I know it’s about a wedding—but for the most part, it’s about these funny people.
Glamour: Recently, Sony chief Tom Rothman told The Hollywood Reporter, "[The Ghostbusters online bashing] is the greatest thing that’s ever happened. We’re in the national debate. Can we please get some more haters to stay stupid things?" Do you agree with that?
Katie: It’s hard. I knew that…OK, when I signed on, I was excited, but also terrified. I knew that the bar was going to be very high, and I knew it was going to be very hard to capture what was once so magical to people. I just loved Ghostbusters so much that I couldn’t possibly say no [to the reboot]. I knew it was going to be tough and I knew I was possibly setting myself up for a very painful time. But I didn’t think people would be so mad in advance. I think there are different camps. I think there are people who are just bummed it’s not a sequel; they don’t understand why it’s not a reboot, and they wanted to see those characters again, which I totally get. I myself would love to see a sequel. On the other hand, when I really think about it, I don’t know that I’d want anyone else to answer for me what happened to those characters. I don’t want some new comedy team coming in and saying, "Well, this is where Venkman is today. This is what happened to Egon." I don’t really want that. That, to me, could hurt legacy. Or maybe it could be wonderful. I don’t know, that’s just my personal feeling. But I get it, I would love to see that, too. To me though, [the new movie] was keeping that sacred and just doing something new in that world. Then there are also the people who were just angry [the main cast] was women. I just don’t even really bother [about that]. There’s a guy who's tweeting at us—he was sincerely trying to help us—and he was being kind, but he was like, "Listen, I’m not sexist. I just don’t think women can handle that kind of dialogue or action." He was really worried about us! [Laughs]
Glamour: What’s the best compliment someone can say after seeing Ghostbusters?
Katie: Oh, God. Well, I really hope the original team that made the first one really likes it. I'll be able to sleep at night. I just want people to have a fun time. I can’t even try to compare it to the original. I think the original is its own special thing and cannot be touched. But if people just go and have a really fun time, that’s all I hope for.
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Glamour: Which cameo of the original cast made you most nervous to write?
Katie: Most of the parts were already written in the script. Bill Murray’s part was already a character, so then we asked Bill if he would play that part. There are so many cameos that we didn’t want to feel like things were jammed in. We also tried as much as possible to make it part of the story, and then we didn’t know if he was going to do it until like the day before. I couldn’t even enjoy—I mean, I was so excited when he came to set—but I was sitting there so stressed out that something was going to make it stop, like, God, what if the camera explodes or some emergency happens?
Glamour: Which character are you most like?
Katie: Kate McKinnon’s character (Jillian Holtzmann) I love, and that’s the character I wish I could be [more like]. She doesn’t care about social norms and is outside the box. I think I relate most to Patty (Leslie Jones). Something about someone who starts off alone reading ghost stories, I don’t know, just sounds like me. I feel like I can understand her point of view. And then, I relate to Kristen’s character (Erin Gilbert). Melissa’s character (Abby Yates) is also someone I wish I could be more of like, just doesn’t care at all what others think and is so driven.
Glamour: Who was the hardest character to write and the easiest character to write?
Katie: The easiest character to write was probably Holtzmann. I think even though we didn’t cast her [ourselves], Kate McKinnon was in both of our heads. She’s really funny. And then, the hardest one, the one that probably changed the most was Kevin (played by Chris Hemsworth). He started off kind of apathetic, which was intentional. In the beginning I thought, what would be the worst kind of receptionist for these people who are trying so hard and are so passionate [about their work]? I was once a temp in New York and I worked at a bank, and it was super stressful because I had this boss who was always stressed out and always on the brink of something. I was pursuing comedy [at the time], so I’d work on sketches and stuff like that, so I’d ask to leave for an audition and then be gone for three hours. [Laughs] So, in the movie in the interview scene, Chris just improvises this, more of like a weird dummy…he just kind of pushed it more in that direction, which was really fun.
Glamour: You started off as an intern on Conan O’Brien's late-night talk show. What did you learn from that experience?
Katie: I definitely learned I wanted to be a comedy writer. I already was interested in comedy, but being there and seeing them…first of all, they got to go to work at 10 A.M. and wear sneakers. They seemed to have so much fun, joking around all day together. I knew they were working, but then getting your lunch be delivered every day—probably because I was broke—was a dream. They were really nice too.
Glamour: Your next movie is with Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn. You’re getting to work with such amazing comedians. What gives you the confidence to know that you can do your job and do it well?
Katie: I’ll be honest, I’m not a writer who confidently says, "This is how it’s done." When I see someone teaching a writing class, I’m like, "God bless you." [Laughs] I don’t know. I feel like I’m still learning so much. I’ve been very lucky to work with people who are so talented. I’ve been so lucky to work with Melissa [McCarthy] so much. On movies with her, if I throw something out there on set and then she takes it and runs with it, that gets her in a direction where she’s funnier with it, that makes me feel good and like I’m contributing something. If I can just help these people at all do their thing, then that makes me feel like I’m doing something. I just focus on the work. Anytime I think about, "Am I good enough?" or "What do people think of me?" or "What does this mean?," I just focus on the work and make it as good as possible and that helps me.
Glamour: You came to one of our Glamour lunches in April and gave this advice to our readers: "Stop assuming you’re wrong all the time because not a lot of people know what they’re talking about anyway. Believe in what you’re saying." I love that.
Katie: No, no one knows [what they’re talking about!] Anyone who does act like they know what they’re talking about, probably knows the least. I just feel like we’re all trying to figure it out.
Ghostbusters is in theaters now. Go behind-the-scenes of the last movie Katie did with Melissa McCarthy, The Heat, in this video, below.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/new-ghostbusters-movie-facts-from-katie-dippold
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