Production of 'Ghostbusters 3' pushed back until autumn 2013 due to financial issues at Sony.

Financial issues at Sony Pictures have reportedly forced director Ivan Reitman to push back the production of the horror spoof franchise's third instalment until next autumn at the earliest.

Despite having original director Ivan on board and a script from 'Men In Black 3' writer Etan Cohen ready, the delay looks likely to see Ghostbusters 3's release date pushed back until 2014, but there are also concerns the film may not be made at all, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Plans to make 'Ghostbusters 3' have been in the pipeline since 1996, but it is not known whether the film will be a reboot or a follow-up.

Ivan recently said: 'Well, I'd like to go forward and make new things. I think 'Ghostbusters' probably should be remade, if we can get it all right. We're working on it, so we'll see.'

Bill Murray - who starred in the 1984 original alongside Sigourney Weaver and Harold Ramis - is unlikely to reprise his role in the movie, but Dan Aykroyd looks set to return to the film franchise as Dr. Raymond Stantz.

Bill Murray - who starred in the 1984 original alongside Sigourney Weaver and Harold Ramis - is unlikely to reprise his role in the movie, but Dan Aykroyd looks set to return to the film franchise as Dr. Raymond Stantz.

Bill Murray doesn’t have an obligation to the fans to star in Ghostbusters 3, let alone any movie. In fact, many Bloody readers have sounded off that they don’t even want to see the sequel. But alas, Sony and Columbia Pictures continue to tweak their proton packs for a third battle with the undead in New York.

The project, which has been in development for several years now, would bring Ivan Reitman back behind the camera, with Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson returning to bust some ghosts (and pass along the torch), alongside Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver (depending on what source you believe; and take into consideration the years of development could cause players to get cold feet).

And thanks to the team’s failed attempts dedication to bring Bill Murray back into the fold as Dr. Peter Venkman, the project has been in development hell for the better part of a decade. What’s interesting though is the roundabout news that, once again, Sony is looking to do Ghostbusters 3 as an animated film, a source exclusively reveals to Bloody Disgusting. This was the original plan back in 2007, which eventually resulted in the incredible 2009 video game.

Whether you blame Murray for stringing everyone along and not giving a flat “no” (though it seems he has done this several times), or you point your finger at Aykroyd and Reitman for agreeing accepting that string – it seems the damage to the project might be permanent. In the end, it looks like they may go with “Plan Z,” which would entail animating the feature and bringing the cast in for a few days of voice work. If I were a gambling man, I’d say Murray couldn’t turn down a massive paycheck for one day of work. (Cameron Diaz earned $3 million for Shrek, $10 million for Shrek 2, and a disturbing $30 million for Shrek The Third.)