Paul Feig on Ghostbusters trailer criticism: “F**k the haters”

The first full trailer for Ghostbusters landed online last week - and an international trailer has been released today - and it's fair to say the reaction has been mixed. While many seem to be encouraged by the promos so far, others have been bothered by the fact that Leslie Jones - the only African-American actress in the cast - is the only member of the all-female crew who is not a scientist or researcher.

Not having a positive reaction to a trailer is one thing, but giving the filmmakers and cast involved a hard time about it is another. When Jones considered quitting Twitter due to the barrage of online criticism, director Paul Feig responded. Check it out below...

Don't leave us, @Lesdoggg. You are a goddess & one of the warmest funniest forces of nature I know. Fuck the haters. https://t.co/rwh8CIxCk4March 8, 2016

And haters, attack me all you want but when you attack and insult my cast, you've crossed the line. Grow up and leave my cast alone.March 8, 2016

No, they're attacking my cast personally. Look at @Lesdoggg mentions. They're going after her and @melissamccarthy. https://t.co/xhq0iXwmPxMarch 8, 2016

While Feig's actions here are definitely admirable, it's shameful that it got to the point that he felt he needed to intervene. Having only seen a little over two minutes of footage, complaints about Jones' character seem a little premature right now. Not every black woman has to play a scientist, and just because Jones isn't playing a scientist doesn't mean her character isn't smart. So let's all save our criticism for the finished movie (if it still applies).

Directed by Paul Feig and starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth, Ghostbusters opens in UK and US cinemas on July 15, 2016.

Images: Sony Pictures Entertainment/Paul Feig

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.