Sydney Sweeney’s The Housemaid director Paul Feig still faces backlash. Nearly a decade later, one controversial movie he made continues to generate backlash. Feig says fans still send angry messages online over Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters backlash still makes going online difficult for The Housemaid’s Paul Feig
Paul Feig recently reflected on the reaction to Ghostbusters. The director spoke during the 2026 Nantucket Film Festival where he received the festival’s Visionary Storyteller Tribute award there.
During a conversation, Feig discussed the female-led Ghostbusters reboot, which sparked heavy backlash after release in 2016. “That was a good time,” Feig joked. He admitted he first hesitated joining the franchise (via PEOPLE).
Feig originally felt Ghostbusters was too iconic for a remake. He eventually changed his mind. He said, “But then I was like, ‘If I can reboot it and I work with all these funny women, that seems like a way to distance myself from the first one and not, like, ruin that legacy, but take the idea and reboot it over here.’ I thought it’s the greatest idea ever.”
The filmmaker believed the new direction would respect the original. Instead, the movie became a major online target. “Little did I know it would just set off this lightning rod. Even after almost ten years, Feig says things haven’t changed much.
He said, “I still have a hard time going on the internet. There’s still guys that will just excoriate me up there.” Feig believes the release timing also hurt the film which arrived during the heated 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“It was just the worst time to put it out. It somehow unnecessarily became a political statement to go see that movie. And most audiences are like, ‘I just want to see a comedy. I want to have some fun.'”
However, Feig has no regrets about making it. “I’m very proud of it, but it definitely caused me more trouble than I needed in my career.” He directed and co-wrote the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.
While Ghostbusters still draws criticism from some fans, Feig has continued directing new films. His projects include A Simple Favor, Last Christmas, Another Simple Favor, and The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, which has earned more than $400 million worldwide.
Originally reported by Ojas Kulkarni on ComingSoon.
