It's official. I'm making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That's who I'm gonna call.

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 8, 2014

After much speculation, Paul Feig — best known for directing Bridesmaids (2011) and The Heat (2013) — has confirmed that he will be making an all-female reboot of Ghostbusters. The Heat’s Katie Dippold is also signed on to co-write the script. Since the news broke on Twitter, the question on everyone’s minds is: who’s on the list of hilarious women Feig has promised to call? Names have yet to be revealed, but in the meantime, allow us to do our own bit of fantasy casting.

Lachlan’s picks:

Amy Poehler
Poehler could easily step into the Dan Aykroyd role of the original 1984 film, bringing a sweet naivety and earnestness to the role as she deals with events that are larger than life, or death. An experienced comic actor, Poehler would be a good fit as the lead of both the film and the team.

Aubrey Plaza
Plaza is a comedic rising star with her own brand of acerbic and deadpan wit that would contrast nicely with the supernatural happenings around her. She could be a worthy heir to the rather large shoes of Bill Murray and his classic one-liners.

Kristen Wiig
It’s easy to imagine Wiig as the Egon of the group, extremely intelligent and extremely socially awkward. Not only does she do a great nerd, but Wiig can also bring sincerity to the role that would contrast well with any potential social ineptness.

Jillian Bell
This preference is based purely off Bell’s performance in 22 Jump Street (2014) earlier this year where she stole every scene she was in with her snarky humour and great comic timing that would play off well with the rest of the team.

Meadhbh’s picks:

Mindy Kaling
Kaling is the reigning queen of rom-com TV, and her brand of shameless girliness would make her a hilarious addition to the team. Imagine her as an ultra-feminine Ghostbuster, fighting ghosts while wondering aloud what Suri Cruise is up to these days. In her 2011 book Is Everyone Hanging Out with Me? (And Other Concerns), she dreamed up this reboot long before Feig, saying, “In my imagination, I am, of course, one of the ghostbusters, with the likes of say, Emily Blunt, Taraji Henson, and Natalie Portman.”

Emily Blunt
Feig has described himself as a “huge Anglophile” and a great fan of British and Irish comedians (Matt Lucas and Chris O’Dowd have both appeared in his films). So we’re also keen to add Blunt to the line-up. She certainly has the comic chops, as she demonstrated marvellously with her scene-stealing performance in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

Allison Janney
We all know Janney is a gifted dramatic actress, but The West Wing star has also proven herself a savagely funny comedian in cult teen films 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), as well as winning an Emmy for making the dismal CBS sitcom Mom watchable. Ghostbusters could make a killing from Janney’s flair for physical comedy, biting dialogue and snappy one-liners.

Jenny Slate
After excellent comic turns in Obvious Child (2014) and Parks and Recreation, it’s time to put Slate in a major Hollywood role. Her blend of sweetness and goofiness, as well as her immaculately-timed delivery of sarcastic comebacks, make her a divine choice for the team. Plus, she’s already tweeted about it.

Francis’s picks:

The strength of the original film is characterisation. Essentially there are four character types- the straight character, Egon (Harold Ramis), the quirky oddball, Ray (Dan Akroyd), the cynic Peter (Bill Murray) and then the everyman/audience surrogate Winstone and Louis (Ernie Hudson and Rick Moranis). With that in mind, here’s how I would cast:

Tina Fey
Fey would be an ideal choice for the straight character, who has to be dry, nerdy, and obsessed with science. Fey is a strong comic lead with a broad range, and she could adeptly lead the franchise.

Melissa McCarthy
Surely McCarthy is a shoo-in for a role, as Feig is likely to use what he knows. The pair previously worked to great success together on Bridesmaids and The Heat, and McCarthy is an obvious choice who could own the quirky oddball role with an energetic performance.

Aubrey Plaza
Plaza is well suited to the role of cynic. Her exemplary performance in Parks and Recreation showcases a dry sense of humour and caustic wit — this the linchpin in the original, and vital for character interaction.

Sigourney Weaver
Perhaps the best way to get fans of the franchise on board and to have the reboot connect with the original, Weaver would be a potential choice for the role of audience surrogate as the final Ghostbuster, drafted for her experience in the previous films.