Original films (1984–1989) The concept of the first film was inspired by Dan Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal (and a history of parapsychology in his own family), and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live alum John Belushi.
In 1981, Aykroyd read an article on quantum physics and parapsychology in The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, which gave him the idea of trapping ghosts.
How old was Dan Aykroyd when he made Ghostbusters?
Ghostbusters has been such a huge part of our popular-culture for the last 30 years that it's easy to overlook what it represented at the time. In June 1984, when the film opened in theaters, Bill Murray was only 33 years old. Dan Aykroyd was just 31 and director Ivan Reitman was 37.
Dan Aykroyd originally wrote the script with John Belushi in mind to play the role of Venkman but Belushi died of a drug overdose on March 5 1982, leading Murray to get the role.
Dan Aykroyd Reveals the Paranormal Inspiration Behind Ghostbusters | Joe Rogan
Why did Bill Murray refuse Ghostbusters?
So, here's the deal: Bill Murray never actually did "Ghostbusters 3." There were talks about a third installment for years, but it just never came together. Murray was always hesitant about doing another sequel, and he wanted the script to be just right before committing.
In an interview with David Letterman, he'd even call talk of a third film his 'nightmare. ' Murray's real issue was his belief another movie couldn't possibly top the original, and it was merely being made to keep the franchise alive. He also felt the cast was too old to be running after ghosts.
There were reports that it got so bad during filming that Ramis slammed Murray up against a wall at one point. “They were like two brothers who weren't getting along,” Rubin told The New Yorker.
However, Belushi's unexpected death in 1982 and Aykroyd's original script being deemed too expensive and impractical saw many changes and rewrites, especially following Harold Ramis' involvement.
Dan, still a close friend of Jim's (they sing in the Blues Brothers Band together) recently introduced him to the man himself; soon, a working relationship took root.
While Aykroyd was a close friend and partner with fellow cast member John Belushi and shared some of the same sensibilities, Aykroyd was more reserved and less self-destructive.
After more back-and-forth and plenty of laughs from everyone, it was eventually concluded that Aykroyd did not invent Patrón. It was, in fact, invented by John Paul DeJoria in 1989.
Tom Hanks and Robin Williams were considered for the role of Dr. Peter Venkman. Almost none of the scenes were filmed as scripted, most had at least one ad-lib.
Conceived by Dan Aykroyd, the comedy classic was initially intended to be a bigger and darker film. Since bursting onto the cinematic scene in 1984, Ghostbusters has endured like few comedies before or since, spawning multiple sequels and adaptations across various mediums.
Bill Murray has a cameo role in the film. In a 2019 interview, he said his decision to participate in the film was because of his friendships with McCarthy and McKinnon, and he felt it was important to support their project.
"They had a few arguments on set, including one in which my dad uncharacteristically lost his temper, grabbed Bill by the collar, and shoved him up against a wall,” she reveals. “Eventually, Bill just completely shut my dad out… for the next twenty years.”
Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote and co-starred in "Ghostbusters" with Ramis, was at North Shore Congregation Israel with wife Donna Dixon, as were Chevy Chase, star of Ramis' "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation," with his wife, Jayni; "SCTV" co-stars Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas; Second City co-owner/CEO Andrew ...
“The studio wasn't [inclusive], and the studio continued not to be,” said Hudson. “So it made it very, very difficult because I was a part of it, but then I very selectively was pushed aside.” “When the posters came out, I'm not on the poster,” recalled Hudson. “It took a long time.
Moranis turned down a cameo appearance in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, sharing that it didn't make sense to him to “do just one day of shooting” on something he did 30 years ago.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the eldest daughter of the late Harold Ramis — Violet Ramis Stiel — talked about how Reitman brought Egon Spengler back for one last Ghostbusters adventure. Depicted as an eccentric recluse, Spengler is killed off by Gozer at the beginning of the story.
How come Rick Moranis wasn t in Ghostbusters Afterlife?
Moranis passed on lending his voice and likeness to the 2009 release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, and also decided not to cameo in Paul Feig's 2016 reboot Ghostbusters, saying that it didn't make sense to him to "do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago.” (via The Hollywood Reporter).
It has been reported that for the original sequel, 1989's Ghostbusters II, Murray, Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and director Ivan Reitman received an upfront salary of $6 million each and a 35% split of the gross, which would have netted them an estimated $50 million in all.
On April 25, 2023, Ernie Hudson indicated that Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Annie Potts would reprise their roles from previous Ghostbusters movies in the film; Aykroyd confirmed he would return for the sequel in June 2023.
"No, Ghostbusters II, definitely canon," Reitman said. "There are references to Ghostbusters II in Afterlife. We meet Ray working at Ray's Occult. The toaster from Ghostbusters II is in the kitchen in the farmhouse.
