Bill Murray Confirms A Spoiler-y Rumor About 'Ghostbusters 3'

There's really no easy way to report on this without giving up a spoiler. If you've been following "Ghostbusters 3" news however, then this is more of an update on a previously reported spoiler.

In December, "Ghostbusters" veteran Sigourney Weaver told us that she had heard star Bill Murray would make an unusual return in the coming sequel. You can see it for yourself right here. Don't watch -- or keep reading, for that matter -- if you want to stay spoiler-free.

Got it? From here on out... *SPOILER ALERT* Weaver suggested that Murray would return... as a ghost. Well Murray, in a recent, confirmed the possibility raised here. Hit the jump for the full details.

Murray doesn't actually say much, but it's straight confirmation. He will indeed be back in "Ghostbusters 3" as a spirit. The news comes from an interview he gave to UK outlet The Daily Mail. A range of topics are covered, but the newsiest bit is his comment about reprising his iconic Peter Venkman role.

"I said to them, 'I'll do it if you kill me off in the first reel,'" he said. "So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film."

So... yeah. Murray is going to be playing a dead man. And while the thought of a phantom Venkman serving as a sort of otherworldly guru/jokester is amusing, it also means we probably won't be seeing him answer any calls or pursue his longtime love interest, Dana Barrett (ie Weaver). While we've known for awhile now that a new class would be stepping up to play with the proton packs, this is the clearest hint yet that the old guard will take on more of a secondary role in the story.

While this isn't news, it's hard for a fan to hear. Those first two "Ghostbusters" movies are classics precisely because of the hilarious foursome at their center. Murray may not be such a fan of the sequel -- "The second one was disappointing, because the special-effects guys took over. I had something like two scenes - and they're the only funny ones in the movie," he told the Mail -- but it has its share of supporters. Every reminder that Venkman and his pals will be laying back in the third movie... it's just hard to hear. "Ghostbusters 3" may well turn out to be just as funny as its predecessors, but it will be a decidedly different beast thanks to the plans to bring in a new class.

What do you think of the "Murray as a ghost" story twist? Who would you like to see in the new class of Ghostbusters? Are you still interested in this sequel?

Tags bill murray, ghostbusters 3, sigourney weaver