191-535: The Ghostbusters franchise spans multiple films , animated series, novelizations, comic books , and video games . Beginning with the 1984 live-action film Ghostbusters , directed by Ivan Reitman , and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis , the premise and storyline have inspired sequels, spinoffs , and reboots . These entries into the franchise include an ever-expanding list of both recurring and original characters. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in multiple installments in
382-608: A Ghostbusters (1984) DVD from an unknown origin (implying that the Cult of Gozer had breached the barrier to another universe where details of the Ghostbusters' world are fictitious) but unable to play it because the Digital Versatile Disc had not yet been invented. After Shandor apparently died in 1945, reputedly from complications surrounding an attempted self-surgery , his body was believed to be buried in
573-534: A US$ 30 million budget, but it grossed approximately US$ 240 million in the United States and over US$ 50 million abroad during its theatrical run, more than the domestic gross of the second Indiana Jones installment, making it the most successful film in America that year (after re-releases), and one of the most successful comedies of the 1980s. The American Film Institute ranked it 28th in its list of
764-420: A reboot of Ghostbusters featuring an all-female cast. Feig had been approached by Reitman and Sony's Amy Pascal to direct the sequel, but Feig turned this down, feeling the concept of the former Ghostbusters passing their roles to a new set of Ghostbusters would not allow him to give the new cast their proper time in the spotlight. These talks resulted in the concept of the reboot as the best way to progress
955-594: A Class 7 Fully Corporeal Possessors. In addition to their ability to dematerialize and possess mortals, The Terror Dogs exhibit other supernatural powers such as summoning lesser entities, levitating, telekinesis and shape-changing (usually the physical form of those they possess into their own horrific forms). Prior to the " Manhattan Crossrip of 1984 ", manifesting through twin gargoyles atop 550 Central Park West ( 55 Central Park West ), Zuul and Vinz possess Dana Barrett ( Sigourney Weaver ) and Louis Tully ( Rick Moranis ) to summon Gozer. They are forced to their dimension by
1146-437: A Destructor before proceeding to destroy that plane of existence, as it did in one dimension as a Torb ( electric eel -like creature) and in another, a Sloar ( reptilian humanoid that produces venomous ectoplasmic substance that conducts psychomagnotheric energy). In the 1920s, cult leader Ivo Shandor and his followers set up Gozer's coming to Earth while predicting the years during which a cross-dimensional rip would occur. Such
1337-611: A Ghostbuster jumpsuit and proton pack to attempt to help defeat Vigo the Carpathian. After the release of Ghostbusters II , Louis became a semi-regular character on Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters as the Ghostbusters' legal and financial advisor. Ghostbusters , like many films on which Moranis has worked, had him improvising some of his lines. Louis is a playable character in New Ghostbusters II for
1528-539: A Ghostbuster, he too doubted the existence of ghosts. In "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream," Winston states that, unlike his three colleagues, he is not a scientist, causing him to doubt his ability to resolve a crisis when the Sandman traps the others within their own dreams, but with encouragement from a dream-version of Albert Einstein , he meets the challenge and wins the day. "The Ghostbusters in Paris" reveals that Winston
1719-590: A bit cranky), and returns as a boss – the resurrected Destructor avatar sans Gozer – in Ghostbusters: The Video Game . Stay-Puft was inspired by Peter O'Boyle, a security guard at Columbia Pictures whom director Reitman met filming his previous movie, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone . According to Sam Delaney of The Guardian , "Stay-Puft's familiar mascot combined elements of real life brand ambassadors Bibendum (aka
1910-419: A class on the paranormal at a local college. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters were Kylie Griffin, a genius, expert on the occult, and female counterpart to Egon; Eduardo Rivera, a hip, cynical Latino slacker and counterpart to Peter; Garrett Miller, a wheelchair-bound young athlete and counterpart to Winston; and Roland Jackson,
2101-409: A classification, but is referenced by Ray as a "Primal God" in the episode, "Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster". Gozer was also used as a benchmark for other potent entities encountered, such as Proteus, Nexxa, Murray The Mantis and Great Cthulhu . Gozer was originally played by Yugoslav actress/model Slavitza Jovan and its demonic voice was provided by Paddi Edwards in the 1984 film. In the 2021 film, Gozer
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#17327986488982292-726: A cult-owned mausoleum in what is currently Central Park , his resting place desecrated, as had been most other deceased New Yorkers . Apparently having no living relatives (though later revealed to have a descendant in Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn), Shandor's fortune and resources are managed by his eponymous foundation. Shandor's original scheme comes to fruition during the events of the first film in 1984, when sufficient energy collected results in Gozer's minions, Zuul and Vinz Clortho, physically manifesting in preparation for their master's coming. The Ghostbusters foil Gozer's entry and neutralize it. As revealed in
2483-532: A demolitions expert". This was revised in subsequent drafts after Hudson was cast. His character was originally intended to represent the audience, but was rewritten to be "an outsider and a late addition" to the Ghostbusters team. He was the only member of the team who did not have an advanced degree, although it was later shown that he acquired his doctorate in Ghostbusters: The Video Game . Veteran actor Yaphet Kotto auditioned and
2674-536: A director and writer, despite having co-starred alongside Bill Murray in Stripes . In Ghostbusters: Afterlife , Egon is revealed to have had a daughter, Callie, prior to 1984, whom he is estranged from. Egon came to believe that the apocalypse would come. His continued research came at the cost of his relationships with his fellow Ghostbusters, who disbelieved Egon's assertions. This culminated in Egon stealing Ecto-1 and
2865-462: A few months in a Martha's Vineyard bomb shelter , according to Ramis on the DVD commentary track for the movie. When Belushi died from a drug overdose, Aykroyd and Reitman eventually turned to Bill Murray to replace Belushi's role. Belushi's likeness was later used as the starting design for Slimer. Ghostbusters was a box office hit, prompting Columbia Pictures to produce an animated series based on
3056-432: A form-fitting costume like the first film's and of different actresses as the character both physically and disembodied, and with Gozer being a shape-shifter, explaining the differences in appearance). This time, Gozer does not assume a Destructor Form when facing the Ghostbusters. However, it animates Stay-Puft Marshmallows as Mini-Pufts as minions. Egon's grandchildren, Phoebe and Trevor, re-enact Egon's plan to lure Gozer to
3247-547: A framing device of having the alternate version of Manhattan exist between moments in time, and featured situations of constant gridlock and where everyone spoke a different language in an otherwise unmodified version of the city. Ramis felt this approach would also reflect the "mundane" qualities of the first two films. Murray was still opposed to the film, according to both Ramis and Hudson as well as Aykroyd. In 2009, Ramis shot down rumors that Chris Farley , Ben Stiller or Chris Rock had been under consideration to appear in
3438-449: A group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and eliminate ghosts , paranormal manifestations, demigods, and demons. The franchise expanded with licensed action figures , books, comics, video games, television series, theme park attractions, and other branded merchandise. The Ghostbusters use a specialized set of equipment in the 1984 film, and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction includes similar equipment to aid in
3629-434: A heart attack. Callie moved to Summerville to take possession of Egon's house. Phoebe, Callie's daughter and Egon's granddaughter who shares a similar passion for science with her late grandfather, discovered the trap containing Gozer's minion, which is released the following day by Gary Grooberson, and Egon's spirit guided her to his underground workshop, where he helped her fix a damaged proton pack. He also helped Trevor fix
3820-516: A kiss before falling inside it. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man – mascot for the fictional Stay-Puft Marshmallows company – became the chosen Destructor form of Gozer (towering roughly 112.5" feet tall) after Dr. Ray Stantz "tried to think of the most harmless thing, something he loved from childhood and that could never, ever possibly destroy them." Stay-Puft also makes appearances in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters (most times friendly due to not being possessed by Gozer any longer, other times
4011-604: A large amount of debt. In the post-credits scene, she and Winston discuss the latter's success. Louis Tully is a nerdy accountant as well as a tax attorney and a neighbor of Dana Barrett, played by Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and voiced by Rodger Bumpass in the Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters animated series. He is possessed by the demon Vinz Clortho , the Keymaster who, along with Zuul, opens
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#17327986488984202-488: A large amount of equipment and moving to Summerville, Oklahoma, where he learned of Shandor's secondary Gozerian temple and Gozer's impending return. Egon rigged a proton barrier to contain the ghosts within the Shandor Mines while capturing one of Gozer's minions to force Gozer into a trap he set up. The trap failed, and Egon hid the captured ghost within his house. Egon is killed by the other entity, his death ruled as
4393-410: A lifetime", but Murray remained adamant about not participating in it. Production on the film continued, working around Murray's lack of participation, and was considering the possibility of recasting Murray's character. This version of the sequel stalled again, and by July 2012, a new writing team was engaged to revamp the screenplay. Aykroyd said that "[the screenplay has] got to be perfect. That's
4584-510: A main antagonist of the game. It is revealed that prior to his death he made pacts with the Gozerian pantheon, allowing his spirit to become a powerful deity in exchange for his services. By 1991, Shandor possesses the body of Mayor Jock Mulligan and makes Peck head of PCOC to hinder the Ghostbusters, while he abducts his descendant – Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn – to invoke the nodes of his mandala and revive Gozer's Mr. Stay-Puft Destructor form. After Gozer
4775-462: A mortal female and male to inhabit and turn them into The Gatekeeper and The Keymaster, respectively, for a sexual rite to open a portal for their master to manifest through. In Ghostbusters terminology from West End Games' role-playing game, The Terror Dogs would each rank as a Class 7 Metaspectre, and in Erik Burnham's Tobin's Spirit Guide: Official Ghostbusters Edition , they are designated as
4966-399: A new cast, starring Kristen Wiig , Melissa McCarthy , Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon as the all-female Ghostbuster team, along with Chris Hemsworth as their male receptionist. Additionally, Aykroyd, Murray, Weaver, Hudson, and Potts all had small cameo roles. The film was released on July 15, 2016, as Ghostbusters , with the home media released being rebranded to Ghostbusters: Answer
5157-486: A new director for the film. Over mid-2014, Sony pursued a short list of potential directors for the film. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks to direct the film, but passed on the project. Ruben Fleischer had also been considered. By late 2014, Paul Feig had been attached as the potential director for the third film, but Sony officially announced in August that Feig had been brought aboard to helm
5348-433: A new threat to New York City after discovering a river of ectoplasmic slime that reacts to the great deal of negative emotions within the city. Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Hudson, Weaver, Potts, and Moranis reprised their roles from the first film, and were joined by Peter MacNicol and Wilhelm von Homburg , among others. After the success of the first film and the animated series The Real Ghostbusters , Columbia Pictures pressed
5539-612: A number of specters that haunt the city's subway tunnels and then being "hit" by a phantom vehicle of a train that derailed in the 1920s. Later, he helps them pilot the Statue of Liberty (suffused with slime charged by positive emotions) through New York City to rally the public and defeat the spirit of Vigo the Carpathian. Ray remarks that the slime reminds him of Jell-O, a dessert Winston hates. Hudson reprised his role as Zeddemore in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). In
5730-677: A performance of the Aida opera. However, the Psi Energy Pulse officially cancelled his plans. After Janine delivered the message, Winston left to meet up with the other Ghostbusters at the Sedgewick Hotel. He endured four hours of traffic but made it to the hotel just in time to see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. During their final confrontation, Ivo Shandor mocks Winston, saying that he always thought Winston
5921-410: A prequel script with the production title of Ghostbusters High , and that there are two follow-up projects to Ghostbusters: Afterlife in development. The prequel will explore New Jersey during 1969, when the primary characters first met as teenagers. The project is being considered alternatively for a television series, with Jason Reitman involved with its development. Aykroyd stated that he envisions
List of Ghostbusters characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
6112-406: A production of Ghost Corps and Sony Pictures Animation . Writing for the series had begun by March 2024. In August 2024, the series was greenlit at Netflix with Elliott Kalan joining as writer and executive producer and was revealed to be CG animated with its tone being expected to be similar to Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire . In May 2019, Aykroyd said that he wrote
6303-510: A proton beam to power the trap. Dr. Eleanor Twitty a.k.a. The Grey Lady or "The Library Ghost", portrayed by Ruth Hale Oliver , is a lady in grey and the first ghost encountered by the original three Ghostbusters (Ray, Egon, and Peter) while they are investigating paranormal activity at the New York Public Library. When they attempt to touch her, she transforms into a much larger and more frightening skeletal form and causes
6494-510: A rip occurred years after Shandor's death as the " Manhattan Crossrip of 1984 ", when Zuul and Vinz Clortho opened the portal for their master to emerge from the rooftop temple of 550 Central Park West ( 55 Central Park West ). Being confronted by the Ghostbusters upon arrival, Gozer uses Ray Stantz's accidental thought to assume its Destructor form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man before being banished back to its realm when
6685-464: A script by Drew Pearce , while Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan would produce the project. In 2016, the project was reportedly cancelled, with the Russo brothers no longer attached. Ivan Reitman later stated that he was not involved with the project, but it never got past early-development stages, with 30-some pages of script written. The second Ghostbusters -related project reported during this time
6876-428: A script co-written by himself and Gil Kenan , while Ivan Reitman served as a producer. The cast includes Mckenna Grace , Finn Wolfhard , Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd , and were joined by Logan Kim and Celeste O'Connor , among others. Additionally, Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, Potts and Weaver appear in supporting roles, reprising their characters from the first two films. The film received mixed to positive reviews, but
7067-447: A script for a potential third film in the series, titled Ghostbusters III: Hellbent . The concept had the characters transported to an alternate version of Manhattan called Manhellton, where the people and places are " hellish " versions of their originals and where the Ghostbusters meet the devil (a modified version of this script was later used in Ghostbusters: The Video Game ). At the time, Aykroyd and Ramis stated that while there
7258-481: A studious African-American machinery whiz and counterpart to Ray. The show was given the Los Angeles Commission on Disabilities Award for making one of its main characters (Garrett) disabled, but universally relatable. In June 2016, a new animated series titled, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force , was announced to be in development, with an initial targeted release of early-2018. The series was to be set in
7449-473: A target release window of late 2011 to 2012, and Reitman had committed to directing the film. The question remained about Murray's participation on the film. Murray said in a 2010 talk show appearance that "I'd do it only if my character was killed off in the first reel". Aykroyd had said that Murray had read the Stupnitsky-Eisenberg script, which Aykroyd claimed gave Murray the "comic role of
7640-645: A temple to summon Gozer through, using materials from a mining operation he established along with the town of Summerville, Oklahoma in 1927. Shandor also developed a mandala across the city, with the New York Public Library , the Museum of Natural History , and the Sedgewick Hotel (built by Shandor's misanthropic follower Godfrey McCallister Sedgewick) as key nodes protected by demonic spirits who were originally his three top disciples (Edmund Hoover, Cornelius Wellesley, and Evelyn Lewis). The fourth node
7831-597: A way of honoring their friendship. Regarding his time on the team, Zeddemore himself put it best “I may be a businessman, but in my heart, I will ALWAYS be a Ghostbuster.” Winston now serves as the financier behind the Ghostbusters. He has reacquired the firehouse and given custody of it to the Spengler family as well as having acquired an old aquarium to serve as a Paranormal Research Center, housing an upgraded and expanded Containment Unit, an engineering department to develop new ghostbusting equipment and several researchers in
List of Ghostbusters characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
8022-422: Is also a relative of Wolf Van Shandor, a famous artist who made mythological artworks. As an architect, his structural styles include Federal , Art Deco , Occult, and Gozerian ( Mesopotamia ). Shandor is obsessed with mythologies, having extensive knowledge on the occult and science that rivals Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz, despite being insane with a God complex , he deemed that humanity is beyond redemption after
8213-465: Is based on the Ecto-1. The movie Be Kind Rewind includes a sequence in which Jack Black , Mos Def , and others recreate the first movie using props and costumes made by themselves, a guest appearance by Sigourney Weaver , and a version of the theme sung by Jack Black. On June 9, 2013, a trailer for a documentary called Spook Central , featuring clips from Ghostbusters alongside discussions of
8404-624: Is believed that when alive she was a sweetheart of a military officer who stationed there over a hundred years ago. In the IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters comic book series, she has a reference in Ghostbusters Annual 2017 in the Dramatis Personae Pages on Ray's biography with the line "In love with a ghost (but not the one from Fort Detmerring)." Ivo Shandor, a surgeon and an architect of some renown during
8595-404: Is college-educated and had electronic countermeasures training. Further, Ray is impressed at Zeddemore's military backgrounds along with his proficiency in karate and firearms handling, after reviewing his resume. Despite not being a scientist, Zeddemore is highly intelligent and soon learns to operate the team's equipment. Later in the movie, having seen the level of paranormal activity present in
8786-408: Is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team, and the second in command. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy . Ray is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his outspoken acceptance of paranormal activity. Egon Spengler is the brains of the Ghostbusters – described in the original script as a "New Wave Mr. Spock" – and
8977-493: Is defeated by the Ghostbusters and Dr Selwyn freed, the disillusioned Shandor forsakes the deity and decides to use the mandala to deify himself , boastfully renaming himself "The Architect" (Class 7 Transformed Mortal Remnant). He is defeated when the Ghostbusters cross their proton streams during the fight after following him into the Underworld. The 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife reveals that Shandor's preserved body
9168-409: Is designated as a "Focused, Non-Terminal Repeating Phantasm or a Class 5 Full-Roaming Vapor" (Class 5 manifestations are fully developed entities that lacked human forms). The creature's original title was "The Onionhead Ghost", which the film crew dubbed him for the horrible odor he used to scare a couple in a scene cut from the original movie. Slimer's personality is one of tremendous gluttony , and he
9359-674: Is hooked up to the "shock" machine, in which Dana is having pleasure by tormenting her husband with it. Dana is the only character that didn't appear in The Real Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters: The Video Game . Janine Melnitz , the Ghostbusters's secretary, is played by Annie Potts in both movies, and is voiced by Laura Summer and Kath Soucie in The Real Ghostbusters and Pat Musick in Extreme Ghostbusters . Janine has occasionally worn
9550-506: Is located on Shandor Island (before it sank) and is guarded by a captured Sloar, a demon that produces the black slime that powers the Mandala system and flows into a series of abandoned city subway tunnels, turning New York City into a hotspot for supernatural activity. His cult also had experimented with time travel, attempting to find artifacts from the future that would reveal the outcomes of their apocalyptic schemes, but managed to retrieve
9741-404: Is located where the entrance to the building's Gozerian temple is hidden, referred later to by Ray Stantz as the "Spook Central." She is singled out early for unwelcome paranormal attention by Gozer's minions, and seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after seeing their advertisement on television. She is possessed by the demon Zuul , Gatekeeper of Gozer, who, along with Keymaster Vinz Clortho , opens
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#17327986488989932-464: Is never seen on screen during the series. In "Night Game", he is shown to love baseball, and his favorite team is the Jaguars. In several other episodes it is shown that Zeddemore loves mystery novels and detective stories, and in "Boodunnit" he is the one who solves the mystery novel left behind by a deceased mystery writer similar to Agatha Christie , allowing her soul to rest. In "Doctor, Doctor" it
10123-483: Is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal; the novelization says that he was in the Marines . He is hired when the Ghostbusters' business begins to pick up. Despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as the everyman of the team, acting as a voice of reason and displaying more common sense than the others. In the 2009 video game, Winston claims to have spent time in
10314-414: Is referred to as a "disgusting blob". In the movies, he is not named and makes short appearances. In the cartoon, he is known as Slimer, is able to speak, and demonstrates a child's intelligence and intense loyalty to Peter and the Ghostbusters with the personality of a dog. His role in the series is explained in the episode "Citizen Ghost", which primarily consists of a flashback to the immediate aftermath of
10505-414: Is revealed that Zeddemore also likes classical literature, including the works of Herman Melville and Charles Dickens . He is also a fan of The Alan Parsons Project . "The Brooklyn Triangle" introduces Winston's father, Ed, who works in construction. Their relationship is shown to have been strained because of Winston choosing to be a Ghostbuster, but they reconcile by the end of the episode. Finally, in
10696-438: Is the leader, he is characterized by his blunt persona, laid-back approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". In the first movie, he is shown to develop genuine concern and romantic feelings for
10887-471: The American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghost Chasers . Aykroyd thought: "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually". The original story as written by Aykroyd
11078-673: The First World War . He established the Cult of Gozer worshippers with close to a thousand followers based on his American family's ancestral island home on the Hudson River where he mass-produced ectoplasm . John Horace Tobin, author of several reference books, infiltrated Shandor's new religious movement and published his findings on their methods and history as part of Tobin's Spirit Guide . Shandor used his connections to steel mogul and disciple Cornelius Wellesley to design 550 Central Park West ( 55 Central Park West ) as
11269-533: The Ghostly Trio , Stantz sheepishly tells the new owners, "Who ya gonna call? Someone else." In 2016, independent filmmakers produced a video titled Ghostheads , which showcases and profiles various "Ghostheads" (self-named fans of the franchise ala " Trekkers " for Star Trek ), and different individual franchises throughout the United States and Canada. In 2018, the Carabinieri of Pavia named
11460-565: The Hi-C flavor " Ecto Cooler ", which came out shortly after The Real Ghostbusters , and was colored green. Slimer remained on the box well after the Real Ghostbusters was cancelled; but in 1997 the drink was renamed "Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen", and Slimer was removed. Slimer also had a toothpaste named after him. A more monstrous and "evil-looking" incarnation of Slimer appears in the 2016 reboot , as voiced by Adam Ray: it appears in
11651-552: The Loch Ness Monster and the theory of Atlantis among others), Zeddemore replies, "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say." When Ray Stantz and Peter Venkman return from a call, Janine introduces Zeddemore to them and Stantz immediately hires him. In the film's novelization, it is stated that Zeddemore has recently been discharged from Strategic Air Command , and has moved in with his mother Lucille while he looks for work and an apartment. He
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#173279864889811842-413: The Real Ghostbusters , Slimer had his own half-page sketch, in which Slimer's past life was covered; he was originally called King Remils ("Slimer" spelled backwards), a greedy, obese monarch who had died of heart failure. Slimer's popularity soared from the subsequent spin-off animated television series The Real Ghostbusters . Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters
12033-514: The Russo brothers pitched the movie to the studio, and was confirmed to supplement and be in development simultaneously with Paul Feig's Ghostbusters: Answer the Call , and intended to be the first installment in a series of films inspired by Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy . Tatum was being courted to star in the film, with Chris Pratt viewed as his potential co-star. By March 2015,
12224-422: The top 100 comedies of all time . IGN voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever in 2005. The TV Channel Bravo ranked Ghostbusters number 28 on their 100 Funniest Movies list in 2006. The second film, Ghostbusters II , was released on June 16, 1989. Taking place five years after the first, the Ghostbusters have lost their credibility due to the amount of property damage they have caused, but identify
12415-589: The video game , Shandor is also indirectly responsible for the events of Ghostbusters II , as the psychomagnotheric "mood" slime produced on his island was discovered by the malevolent spirit of Vigo the Carpathian underneath the Manhattan Museum of Art; Vigo used Shandor's substance to strengthen himself and to pursue his own apocalyptic agenda after his cursed painting's arrival at the museum. After decades of operating behind-the-scenes, Shandor finally makes an appearance in Ghostbusters: The Video Game as
12606-406: The 2009 video game, and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first three seasons of The Real Ghostbusters . Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters . Hudson reportedly auditioned to reprise the role of Winston for the animated series, but he was rejected in favor of Hall. Unlike the other members of the team, Winston
12797-576: The 2016 Ghostbusters , Reitman stated that Sony Pictures had been coming off a series of flops, and were looking into a property comparable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe from which they could pull sequels, side stories, and other options for several years to follow. Reitman approached Sony with the idea of "Ghost Corps", a series of films based on the Ghostbusters franchise. Sony founded Ghost Corps in 2015, with Reitman and Aykroyd overseeing its productions. Ghostbusters became
12988-512: The 2021 sequel. Ghostbusters: Afterlife as the main antagonist. In the film, Egon learned of Gozer's eventual return in 2021 and moved to Summerville, Oklahoma, where the selenium used to construct the Shandor building —from the first film—was mined from, to prepare a series of traps to stop Gozer permanently. Egon lured the disembodied Gozer to his farm after capturing one of its minions and preventing ghosts from flooding into Summerville, but
13179-502: The Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Award nomination for " Best Original Song ". The music video produced for the song is considered one of the key productions in the early music video era, and was a No. 1 MTV video. Directed by Reitman, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson, the video organically integrated footage of the film in a specially designed haunted house, lined with neon in its entirety. The film footage
13370-443: The Call . It received mixed reviews, and grossed US$ 229 million off a US$ 144 million budget, after accounting for marketing, a $ 70 million loss. In October 2015, Ivan Reitman announced that he was producing an animated film for Sony Pictures Animation , with Fletcher Moules attached to the project as both animator and director. The film will tell a story from the perspective of ghosts. The film would begin production following
13561-542: The Containment Unit shut off. The result is catastrophic, unleashing all the entities that were trapped, powering Ivo Shandor's tower at 550 Central Park West ( 55 Central Park West ), and providing the 'sign' that Terror Dogs Keymaster and Gatekeeper of Gozer, Vinz Clortho and Zuul (possessing Louis Tully and Dana Barrett, respectively) were waiting for. Peck again confronts the Ghostbusters and orders them arrested, refusing to take responsibility and blaming them for
13752-480: The Cult of Gozer attack the Ghostbusters' firehouse headquarters for the spiritual energy from their ecto-containment unit. In the film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), The Library Ghost makes a cameo appearance in the library, in both her Grey Lady form as well as her transformed skeletal form that still frightens Ray Stantz. Oliver returned as the Library Ghost in human form via the archived footage from
13943-629: The Egyptian exhibit of the museum while in graduate school working on his doctorate, suggesting experience in anthropology or a related science, and addressing himself as a doctor, indicates that he has his own PhD. The post-credits scene in Ghostbusters: Afterlife reveals that Winston's post-Ghostbusters career was highly lucrative as he built several businesses from the ground up. In his discussion with Janine Melnitz , though, he reveals that nothing fulfilled him like being with
14134-583: The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), for the third district in the greater New York area, played by William Atherton . Spurred on by "wild stories in the media," Peck is sent to "assess any possible environmental impact" by the Ghostbusters' operation. Peter Venkman instantly dislikes Peck and refuses him access to inspect the premises, in particular the Containment Unit ghost-storage facility. This confrontation leads to Peck getting official inspection orders and eventually having
14325-546: The Ghostbusters Building, and along with the Hook and Ladder Firehouse, has become a real-world New York City tourist attraction. In May 2010, the group Improv Everywhere, at the invitation of the New York Public Library, staged a Ghostbusters -themed "mission" in the same reading room used in the film. The video game Burnout Paradise pays homage to the franchise with a car titled the 'Manhattan Spirit', which
14516-491: The Ghostbusters at their trial in his first court case. In the film's deleted scenes, revealed that he has a cousin, Sherman Tully (played by Eugene Levy ), a dermatologist on staff at the Parkview Psychiatric Hospital. Louis then takes up permanent employment with the Ghostbusters when they reestablish their business. In addition, Louis seeks to become the fifth Ghostbuster. At one point, he borrows
14707-591: The Ghostbusters fired their crossed proton streams on the gateway. Prior to it being banished, Peter Venkman mockingly nicknamed Gozer "flat top", "chick", and "prehistoric bitch" after its first attack. Thirty-seven years later, in Summerville, Oklahoma, revealed that Winston Zeddemore himself referred Gozer as "muffin" out of his own scorn against it. Gozer "reappears" in the 2009 game via the Gozerian Mandala-revived form of Mr. Stay Puft, but
14898-498: The Ghostbusters should they refuse to hand him over. Peck then placed Slimer in a cyclotron machine in an attempt to destroy him, and changed the codes to prevent Slimer being rescued, but it had disastrous consequences in long-term use, forcing the Ghostbusters to stop it. This ended up being the end of Peck's career at B.U.F.O.; Since he endangered everyone in the compound with his reckless and selfish actions, Peck and his partner Calahan had their contracts terminated, and were fired from
15089-424: The Ghostbusters uniform and used ghost-catching equipment in the animated series. During the first film, and in both animated series, Janine often flirted with Egon but he remained oblivious. She dated Louis Tully in the sequel. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife , Janine contacted Callie Spengler to inform her of Egon's death and to arrange for Callie to collect Egon's belongings. She informed Callie that Egon had accrued
15280-454: The Ghostbusters were drugging the city with hallucinogens is invalidated by the authorities and experts. Evidence supporting the Ghostbusters' innocence is brought forth, humiliating Peck since he has nothing to support his claims. The mayor sides with the Ghostbusters and has a furious Peck removed from his office. With the mayor's support, the Ghostbusters gear up and head off with a police / military escort towards their confrontation with Gozer
15471-418: The Ghostbusters were frauds and end their business. His first attempt involved making a false call to try to arrest the Ghostbusters on trespassing warrants, though it backfires on him when it's discovered that the compound actually was haunted by a ghost. His next attempt involved taking Slimer away from them. Not believing him to be a real ghost, Peck had Slimer classified as a U.F.O, and pressed charges against
15662-436: The Ghostbusters' first client, Dana Barrett ( Sigourney Weaver ). Raymond "Ray" Stantz , another member of the Ghostbusters, is played by Dan Aykroyd in all four main series movies. He was voiced by Frank Welker in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and he reprised his role in a cameo in Extreme Ghostbusters . He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team, and Peter's closest friend. Ray
15853-425: The Ghostbusters, but he left a note on his desk saying that he is "feeling sick, going home early", explaining his absence (due to Moranis declining to reprise his role for the game) and it is filled with piles of paperwork needing to be finished. His own Ghostbuster uniform (with his name on it) hangs behind it as well, implying that he may have officially been a member. Louis is also tasked to scout locations to expand
16044-464: The Ghostbusters. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009), she is designated as a Class 4 Semi-Anchored Entity. She returns in the 2009 video game, where much of her history is revealed, and the Ghostbusters uncover the tragic story of her death. She was once Dr. Eleanor Twitty, the New York Public Library 's head librarian in the 1920s, and overseer of its Special Collections of ancient artifacts, stone tablets, long-forgotten tomes, and rare books. She
16235-432: The Ghostbusters. While not necessarily the origin of the word "Zuul," there is a similarity with the ancient Maya word for dog, "tzul". Zuul's name was referred to by Patty Tolan in the remake of the original film Ghostbusters (2016) after hearing strange recordings, implying that the setting of this film is a parallel universe to the original film and its sequels', and that Gozer is going to attack their universe, making
16426-813: The Gozerian. Peck also heads up to 550 Central Park West and bears witness to Gozer manifesting in Its Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Destructor form. He eventually gets engulfed in Mr. Stay-Puft's melted remains, leaving him publicly humiliated. Despite this, later, in Ghostbusters II , people like Peck from nearly "every state, county, and city agency" in the New York area sued the Ghostbusters and put them out of business for five years. This caused them to loathe short-sighted, selfish bureaucrats, exemplified by their interactions with
16617-641: The Magyar variant of his forename is Ivan . His canonical forename is the South Slavic ( Bosniaks , Croats , Serbs ) Ivo ; his surname in that language would have been Šandor . In the Romanian language , his name would have been spelt Ioan Șandor . Ghostbusters (franchise) The Ghostbusters franchise consists of American supernatural comedies , based on an original concept created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984. The plot follows
16808-609: The Michelin tire man) and the Pillsbury Dough Boy ." The costume was created by Bill Bryan using miniatures, optical compositing and Bryan himself in a latex suit. In the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife , Gozer creates Mini-Pufts as minions out of Stay-Puft Marshmallows as distractions. Gozer the Gozerian is a Class 7 Deity of Destruction revered by the Hittite , Mesopotamian and Sumerian cultures who appears as
16999-606: The NES. He appears as a non-playable character in Lego Dimensions voiced by Mick Wingert . In his side quest on the Ghostbusters Adventure World, he requires the player's help to get more guests for his party. Although Louis did not appear in Ghostbusters: The Video Game , it is obvious that he was the "other guy" that Peter referred to who tried to be a fifth Ghostbuster. Louis is still employed by
17190-542: The Vigo Incident of '89 and Thanksgiving 1991, Winston has acquired his doctorate, is now addressed as "Doctor" along with his colleagues. Zeddemore can be heard quipping "That's Dr. Zeddemore to you, punk!" when defeating enemies. He mentions that he "pretty much lived" in the museum's exhibit on ancient Egypt while in school, revealing that his degree is in Egyptology. On his one day off, Winston went to go see
17381-469: The agency. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game , Peck – again played by Atherton – went on to lead the PCOC (Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission), an agency overseeing the Ghostbusters; they remain in mutual enmity; Venkman continues to refer to Peck as "Pecker" and threatens to kill him with his proton pack. For his part, Peck still firmly believes that the Ghostbusters are scam artists despite evidence to
17572-425: The animated series The Real Ghostbusters . Though skeptical of the Ghostbusters due to his Catholic background (in reality, Margulies was Jewish), Clotch is apparently open-minded on the paranormal and thus quietly and reluctantly supports them when facing supernatural crisis. By 1989, Clotch is running for governor, and is assisted by Jack Hardemeyer until Clotch fires him for misconduct; he later rehires him. During
17763-454: The capture and containment of ghosts. Their equipment includes proton packs , used to control and lasso ghosts; ghost traps, used to capture ghosts; and PKE meters, handheld devices used to detect psychokinetic energy. In addition to the main technology used in the series, a script draft for Ghostbusters III includes the Ghostbusters developing a machine to transport themselves to an alternate Manhattan to save New York. Ghostbusters ,
17954-427: The car in the film multiple times, examining the vehicle's condition after several years of neglect (He was heard mumbling "what happened to you?" at the car after finally defeating Gozer while also promising to restore it to its former glory). Winston later personally guides the Ecto-1 back into the recently re-acquired firehouse after he restored it in the mid-credits scene. Ernie Hudson who played Winston Zeddemore in
18145-476: The city, he remarks, "This job is definitely not worth eleven-five [$ 11,500] a year!" He is partnered with Stantz and they become friends, and they share responsibility on the maintenance of the team's Cadillac Ecto-1 . Zeddemore is a religious man to some extent, saying in a discussion in Ghostbusters that he believes in God and "loves Jesus ' style". While driving the Ecto-1 with Stantz, he voices his thoughts that
18336-512: The completion and release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife . The project was reconfirmed in June 2022, with Jennifer Kluska and Chris Prynoski as directors and Brenda Hsueh as the writer of the film. In December 2014, the Sony Pictures hack revealed that an action comedy spin-off film, centered around another team of Ghostbusters was in development. Channing Tatum , Reid Carolin , and
18527-415: The contrary. His attempts to discredit them have become an obsession, which causes Peck more trouble when he's caught in the fight between the Ghostbusters and the spirit of Ivo Shandor. By the end of the game, he has been captured by Shandor and begs the Ghostbusters to free him from his captivity. The Ghostbusters' recruit does so, but simply by severing his bonds with a proton stream and letting Peck fall on
18718-438: The creator of the Ghostbusters' equipment along with Raymond Stantz. Lacking much of a personality other than his focus on all things scientific, he is often shown as lacking social skills when dealing with people. Egon was portrayed by Harold Ramis in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II , voiced by Maurice LaMarche in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters , and Ramis' likeness
18909-512: The deity and expresses his desire to rule by its side before being promptly ripped in half. The Ghostbusters: Afterlife script and credits list the spelling of the surname as Shandor ; this is correct for the Magyar language (Hungarian), which spells the English /s/ sound as <sz>, pronounces its written "s" like English "sh", and is where the name originated (as a variant of Alexander );
19100-452: The dilapidated Ecto-1, and guided Callie into realising that, far from being a deadbeat, Egon had always watched over her. During the final battle with Gozer, Egon materialised as a ghost in order to aid Phoebe and his old Ghostbuster colleagues in trapping Gozer permanently. He reconciled with his friends and family before passing peacefully into the afterlife. Winston Zeddemore is played by Ernie Hudson in all four main series movies and
19291-454: The early 20th century, was born in Romania around 1859, and he moved to New York City from Bucharest in 1898. Shandor is the overall cause for the circumstances in the events of the original film's canons and appears as the " boss " of the 2009 video game. He is played by actors Brian Doyle-Murray and J.K. Simmons in the game and the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife , respectively. He
19482-401: The entity. He also comes to the Spengler family's aid against the Ghostbusters' old nemesis, Walter Peck, now Mayor of New York. Many details of Zeddemore's personality and character are revealed in episodes of The Real Ghostbusters . The episode "Cry Uncle" clarifies that, in the show's continuity, Winston has no doctorate; he also informs Egon's skeptical Uncle Cyrus that, prior to becoming
19673-478: The episode "The Moaning Stones", Zeddemore is revealed to be the reincarnation of Shima Buku, a shaman at war with an immortal demon known only as the Undying One. Winston is the primary driver of Ecto-1 for more than a few moments in the two films. As a result, he is almost always shown driving the car in The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, and is often seen performing routine maintenance such as oil changes on
19864-401: The existence of ghosts and the supernatural as he encounters them as a Ghostbuster. He also rises to the challenge and proves very skilled and dependable team member. However, he continues to act as an " everyman " and voice of reason for the team, and when the jailed Ghostbusters seriously propose asking a federal judge to release them because they must fight an invading god, Zeddemore reminds
20055-478: The explosion at the firehouse. This provokes Egon Spengler's furious attempt to assault Peck, and Venkman and Ray Stantz display contempt for Peck's harassment. As the Manhattan Crossrip of 1984 begins, the Ghostbusters are released from jail and brought to City Hall. There they square off against Peck, trying to convince the mayor that not just the city, but the world, is in danger. Peck's belief that
20246-456: The farm by capturing Zuul in a ghost trap to render it incorporeal, though the trap once again fails and Zuul is released with Gozer's physical form restored. It is confronted once again by the original Ghostbusters, including the ghost of Egon, who help snare Gozer while Phoebe battles the entity and Trevor fires a proton beam to power the trap. Gozer and its minions are again defeated by the Ghostbusters, trapped inside ghost traps buried underneath
20437-473: The farm, and its threat is neutralized. However, after Gozer and its minions are deposited into the firehouse's ecto-containment unit, a warning light blinks. In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , Gozer is referred by Janine Menitz after the Ghostbusters defeated another evil deity Garraka. In Ghostbusters terminology from West End Games' role-playing game, Gozer would be a Class 7 Metaspectre. Gozer never appeared in The Real Ghostbusters animated series or receive
20628-427: The fictitious Manhattan Museum of Art. It is here that she (and later Baby Oscar) come to the attention of the evil Prince Vigo the Carpathian , whose malevolent spirit inhabits his massive self portrait . When Dana and Baby Oscar become the target of Vigo's plot, the Ghostbusters re-enter her life to save her, Baby Oscar, and the world once again. Dana was also a neighbor of Louis Tully at 550 Central Park West in
20819-531: The film and fully covered by the 2009 game sequel, Gozer had a following on Earth around 6000 BC before being banished by the Babylonian goddess Tiamat following a protracted conflict between their followers. Via its chief minions – Terror Dogs Zuul the Gatekeeper and Vinz Clortho the Keymaster, Gozer can enter into another reality and offers those witness to its arrival to choose an avatar form known as
21010-640: The film possibly canonical to the original film series, though these were never explored further onscreen. Zuul and Vinz Clortho reappear in Ghostbusters: Afterlife . In the film, in addition to being minions and emissaries of Gozer, they serve as sentinels to stand and keep watch the temples devoted to their master including the one in Shandor's mine at Summerville. Because of this, for 27 years, they have been clashing with Egon Spengler after he arrived to prevent Gozer from returning. Egon captured one of them in an attempt to trap Gozer, but his plan failed and he hid
21201-494: The film was officially confirmed to be in active-development. Written by Drew Pearce , the film was seen as an expansion of the Ghostbusters multiverse. Ivan Reitman described its development as being in line with the plans and production bible that they had created thirty years prior during the original film; the purpose of the project was "to build the Ghostbusters into the universe it always promised it might become". Joe and Anthony Russo were in early negotiations to direct
21392-467: The film's high production costs, and felt that it had become too risky of a proposition. Ramis also expressed that Murray had become "kind of obstructionist" about the film, further souring the film to Columbia. The fate of the script remained unknown until 2006, when Ramis affirmed that a variation of Aykroyd's Hellbent script was still being considered for the sequel; to reduce the need for special effects and reduce production costs, Ramis had conceived
21583-435: The film, The Real Ghostbusters (renamed to avoid a conflict with Filmation 's existing cartoon, Ghostbusters ), as well as to seek out a sequel . Aykroyd and Ramis had not been conformable with a sequel, believing the first film was meant to be self-contained, but eventually agreed. A second sequel to Ghostbusters had been of interest to Aykroyd and Ramis over the course of the 1990s. During this period Aykroyd wrote
21774-430: The film. Lack of interest and motivation continued to hinder progress until 2008. In September, Columbia hired screenwriters Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg to write a new screenplay for a Ghostbusters film, still set to revolve around a new cast of Ghostbusters, with uncertain involvement from the original cast. Aykroyd and Ramis stated filming for this script was expected to start in late 2009 or mid-2010, with
21965-402: The film. Ivan Reitman, the Russo brothers, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin , and Peter Kiernan were to serve as producers. By June however, Tatum confirmed that the project had been delayed in favor of other projects. In February 2022, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller announced that they had been attached to the project during its development stages, also saying that there is still potential at
22156-482: The first film branded with the Ghost Corps name. During the production of Ghostbusters (2016), two additional Ghostbusters related projects emerged, tied to the Ghost Corps studio. In March 2015, Deadline wrote that an all-male lead Ghostbusters film was being developed by Sony 's Ghost Corps label, with Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt starring. Anthony and Joe Russo signed on as co-directors, from
22347-405: The first film in the series, is a 1984 sci-fi comedy film about three New York City scientists. After they are fired from Columbia University , they start their own business investigating and capturing ghosts. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver , Annie Potts , and Ernie Hudson, it was released in the United States on June 8, 1984. It had been made on
22538-488: The first film's main antagonist, known by many titles that include "The Destructor", "The Destroyer", "Volguus Zildrohar, Lord of The Sebouillia", "Scourge of the Glethestements" and "The Traveler." Its base form is that of an androgynous woman, leading to it typically being identified as female. Gozer's appearance is preceded by increased paranormal activity and the disruption of natural forces. As briefly mentioned in
22729-404: The first film, but new puppet was made for her skeletal form. According to Tobin's Spirit Guide, dream ghosts are Class 4 benign entities that only manifest in the presence of a sleeping individual. Ray encountered with such a spirit in his sleep, who was portrayed by late Playboy centerfold Kymberly Herrin . In omitted scenes, she was originally a ghost who haunts Fort Detmerring guardhouse. It
22920-467: The first movie. The two remained acquainted, then became friends. Louis and Janine Melnitz baby-sat Oscar (and themselves became a romantic item) during the second film. Dana appears in the mid-credits scene of Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), in which she and Peter are revealed to be married and settled in Cortland , and play with the cards Peter used to discover his students' psychic potential. Peter
23111-548: The footage shot was not used. In the late 1990s cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters , Slimer's voice was provided by Billy West . Troy Baker voices Slimer in the 2009 video game, though with the sound effects used in the first movie. Aykroyd reportedly referred to Slimer as "The Ghost of John Belushi ". In the script for Ghostbusters , Slimer is never called by any name. He is described by Dr. Ray Stantz ( Dan Aykroyd ) as an "Ugly Little Spud," just before he slimes Dr. Peter Venkman ( Bill Murray ). In Ghostbusters terminology, Slimer
23302-422: The franchise. Peter Venkman is a focal member of the Ghostbusters. He is portrayed by Bill Murray in all four main series movies, and is voiced in the animated series by Lorenzo Music and subsequently Dave Coulier who would later reprise his role in a cameo in Extreme Ghostbusters . Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology on the team; he also holds a PhD in psychology . In the movies, although he
23493-456: The franchise; this also allowed Feig to avoid issues with the canon from the previous films. Feig partnered with Katie Dippold for the screenplay. Production started in mid-2015, and the film was released in July 2016 under the name Ghostbusters ; it was later rebranded in home media as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call to distinguish it from the first film in the franchise. During production of
23684-582: The gambit failed, and Egon hid the ghost trap holding the creature. Egon is then attacked by the other creature, causing him to suffer a fatal heart attack. When the creature inside the trap was freed, it returned to Shandor's mine. Vinz Clortho and Zuul picked new hosts and return to the Gozerian temple, and Gozer was brought back to Earth in a form similar to its previous, but includes skeletal protrusions and spikes, with energy surging throughout its body (due to Jason Reitman's desire to use prosthetic like Alien film series' that starred Sigourney Weaver instead of
23875-428: The game incorporates a montage showing Zeddemore guiding Ecto-1 back into the firehouse (identical to the post-credits scene of 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife ) and returning the firehouse to working order to train a new generation of Ghostbusters. Zeddemore acts as a guide for the player-character's rookie Ghostbuster and has a role in the plot of the game alongside Dr. Ray Stantz , with Dan Aykroyd also returning to
24066-430: The ghost havoc scenes, as it ravages a hot dog cart, but, as the Ghostbusters near to investigate, he steals the Ecto-1 and starts joyriding with other ghosts (including a Lady Slimer) around Manhattan , but the Ghostbusters decide not to shoot him, as the car contains a nuclear reactor. Later, they actually do shoot at the car to use the reactor to reverse the effects of the ghost portal, with Slimer and Lady Slimer sharing
24257-505: The ghost trap underneath the floor boards of his house prior to being attacked by the other creature and suffering a fatal heart attack. After Egon's estranged daughter, Callie, moves to Summerville to inherit his farm, her daughter Phoebe uncovers the trap and unintentionally freed the creature inside with help from Gary Grooberson, and it returns to the Shandorian mine. Vinz Clortho chooses to possess Gary, while Zuul possesses Callie, and
24448-503: The ground. As a result, he angrily leaves, again blaming the Ghostbusters and telling them they hadn't seen the last of him. Walter Peck returns in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as mayor of New York and Peck still has a vendetta against the Ghostbusters and again scapegoating them for the city's renewed supernatural activities. In the end, despite Peck threatening to shut them down, they maneuver him into supporting
24639-462: The growing fanbase of young children. Additionally, the characterizations became more one-dimensional, and the animation became less detailed. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of writer J. Michael Straczynski . Dave Coulier of Full House fame came on to fill the role of Peter (voiced by Lorenzo Music ), Buster Jones took over Winston from Arsenio Hall , and Kath Soucie took on Janine after Laura Summer voiced
24830-436: The interdimensional gate to bring Gozer to Earth in the first film. In Ghostbusters II , he is revealed to have graduated from night law school , in which he implies that it was an inadequate educational institution, and, in the novelization, revealed that it was called Famous Lawyer's School & Dry-Cleaning Emporium. Due to his limited trainings in laws, he mostly handles matters relating to taxes and probate . He represents
25021-415: The interdimensional gate to summon Gozer to Earth in the first film. She promptly attracts the romantic attention of Peter, whose flippant behavior causes her to doubt her decision to seek aid from the Ghostbusters. In the sequel five years later, Dana is a divorced mother of an eight-month-old boy named Oscar; Peter is neither her former husband nor Oscar's father. Dana was then working as a restorationist for
25212-415: The jumpsuit looking like the iconic Ghostbusters suit with "Ghosts Exposed" decals. The first film sparked the catchphrases , "Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't afraid of no ghost". Both came from the theme song performed by Ray Parker Jr. , who wrote it in a day and a half. The song was a huge hit, staying at No. 1 for three weeks on Billboard' s Hot 100 chart and No. 1 for two weeks on
25403-440: The main entrance, and is visited often by fans. This has led to an annual fundraiser, with a celebration at the firehouse planned each year in early June to coincide with "Ghostbusters Day." Grand Theft Auto Online features references to Ghostbusters during the 2023 and 2024 Halloween updates. A car that looks like Ecto-1 can receive a "Ghosts Exposed" livery. A jumpsuit is available to all players who capture 10 ghosts on film,
25594-467: The mayor's assistant Jack Hardemeyer and Judge Stephen Wexler. Walter Peck appears only once in The Real Ghostbusters animated series, in the episode "Big Trouble with Little Slimer," voiced by Robert Towers . Having been fired from the EPA, Peck has become a member of the government organization B.U.F.O. (The Bureau of Unidentified Flying Organisms). Dead set for revenge, Peck became determined to prove that
25785-461: The movie, where Slimer returned to the firehouse as the Ghostbusters were the first people to show any interest in him, the team "adopting" him as a means of testing ghosts and an ally after he helped them defeat ectoplasmic manifestations of themselves that had manifested from their old uniforms after the uniforms were exposed to ghostly energies from the containment unit. In the Marvel UK comics of
25976-581: The next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age. The film was directed by Gil Kenan, with a script co-written by himself and Jason Reitman, while Reitman served as a producer. Grace, Wolfhard, Coon, Rudd, Kim and O'Connor reprise their roles from Afterlife , and were joined by Kumail Nanjiani , and Patton Oswalt , among others. Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, Potts and Atherton appear in supporting roles, reprising their characters from
26167-432: The original Ghostbusters, which is why he has secretly been financing Ray Stantz 's occult business. He vows to expand the support to the new crew as they continue Egon's work. Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver , Dana Barrett was a cellist living at 550 Central Park West ( 55 Central Park West ), a haunted apartment building which would become the gateway for the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian . Dana's living quarters
26358-409: The original films, auditioned for the part of Winston, but , was told he was doing it all wrong. Winston only appears in the two-part series finale. After the closing down of the Ghostbusters, Winston got his pilot's license, being the first and only Ghostbuster to be a certified pilot. Ernie Hudson appears as himself in the episode "Slime Busters" of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show . Winston
26549-410: The original two films was confirmed to be in development the following year, with it originally being scheduled for July 10, 2020. Ivan Reitman's son Jason Reitman directed the film, with a script co-written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan . Ivan Reitman served as a producer, while The Montecito Picture Company worked on production. Ivan described the film as "passing the torch". Jason Reitman used
26740-524: The others that no one will believe their claims. Despite this, when meeting with the Mayor of New York he offers himself as a somewhat impartial observer, due to only having joined the team recently, and assures the mayor that the phenomena are real. At the start of the sequel Ghostbusters II , the team has been forced out of business due to legal injunctions and property damage lawsuits. Zeddemore and Stantz work as unpopular children's entertainers, but rejoin
26931-419: The paranormal. He has taken on Lucky as an intern. He still loves being a Ghostbuster but has also become more practical in his advanced age, at one point lecturing Ray when his investigation into Garakka led him, Phoebe Spengler and Podcast into danger. However, he is quick to suit up again when Garakka threatens the city and he and the original Ghostbusters are instrumental in the final battle in finally trapping
27122-473: The perceived meanings in the film, mimicking the style of the documentary Room 237 , was uploaded to YouTube. The movie's catchphrase, "Who you gonna call?", has been used in other media, like the 1990s Casper cartoon series. In the 1995 film version of Casper , Dan Aykroyd appears in character as Ray Stantz having been hired to remove the Whipstaff Manor of ghosts but having been foiled by
27313-504: The plan to arrest an art thief who used a ghostly bed sheet to be unrecognizable "Operazione Ghostbusters" ("Operation Ghostbusters"). In 2021, The Buffalo Ghostbusters asked fans from all around the world to raise money for a new full-size replica Ghostbusters sign, which it later donated to Hook & Ladder 8 in New York City, commonly known as "The Ghostbusters Firehouse." The sign now prominently hangs outside year-round, above
27504-530: The previous films. The film received mixed to positive reviews, and earned $ 201 million on a $ 100 million budget. The 2016 film, Ghostbusters , is a relaunch of the franchise which takes place in an alternate universe, featuring a new cast of characters, but follows a similar narrative as the original film. A group of eccentric researchers make discoveries within paranormal incidents with their intentions being to detect and capture ghosts, and protect New York City from those spirits. The film principally features
27695-457: The previous series), secretary Janine Melnitz , and the ghost Slimer. The premise is similar to the plot of Ghostbusters II . Set years after the end of The Real Ghostbusters , a lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each has gone his separate way, except for Egon, who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies, and teach
27886-406: The producers to make a sequel. Aykroyd, Ramis, and Reitman were uncomfortable with this at first, as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. The sequel earned US$ 215 million off a US$ 37 million budget, but received lukewarm reviews compared to the first film. The third film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife ,
28077-585: The project as "a perfect button on all [the filmmakers have] done up to that point". This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in multiple installments in the franchise. 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 . Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology in
28268-418: The remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters . Hudson returned to provide his appearance and voice to Zeddemore in 2009's Ghostbusters: The Video Game and 2022's Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed . In the original script for Ghostbusters , Winston Zeddemore was intended to be part of the Ghostbusters team from the beginning, a former " Air Force major something,
28459-445: The role he originated. The name "Zeddemore" is misspelled as "Zeddmore" in the closing credits of Ghostbusters . As a result it was also sometimes misspelled in scripts and other sources related to The Real Ghostbusters . The name is spelled correctly on the nametag on Winston's jumpsuit, in the shooting script of Ghostbusters (as published in the book Making Ghostbusters ), and in the closing credits of Ghostbusters II . The name
28650-502: The role. Straczynski returned to the series temporarily in the 1990 season. The only cast members who remained throughout the entire series were Frank Welker (voice of Stantz and Slimer) and Maurice LaMarche (voice of Spengler). The show was cancelled in 1991. Extreme Ghostbusters was a sequel and spin-off of The Real Ghostbusters that aired in late 1997. The show featured a new team of younger Ghostbusters led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (with LaMarche reprising his role from
28841-431: The script that should Murray want to participate, they could account for him. Eventually, the revised script had been completed with plans to start production in 2015. However, Harold Ramis died on February 24, 2014. Initially, Sony/Columbia said that Ramis's role in the film had been minimal and would not affect production, but Reitman felt that the screenplay had to be reworked to better account for this, and approached
29032-439: The script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman . Aykroyd pitched his story to director and producer Ivan Reitman , who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion, the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the final screenplay which Aykroyd and Harold Ramis finalised during
29223-599: The sequel would be made, due to the film performing under expectation at the box office. In response to Feig's comments, Reitman asserted that "there's going to be many other Ghostbusters movies, they're just in development right now". In an interview in November 2018, Aykroyd spoke of a new script being developed for a Ghostbusters film that would potentially bring together himself, Murray, and Hudson back in their previous roles, even considering Murray's previous reluctance to return. A new Ghostbusters film connected to
29414-502: The singing. Winston Zeddemore Winston Zeddemore , PhD is a fictional character appearing in the Ghostbusters films, TV series, and video games. He is played by Ernie Hudson in the films Ghostbusters , Ghostbusters II , Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first three seasons of The Real Ghostbusters . Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in
29605-474: The starring roles, while the original cast members would return in supporting roles, with the exception of Peter (Murray) having died off screen. This was framed to have the new Ghostbusters help Ray, Egon, and Winston with their struggling business after Peter had left to be with Dana; ultimately, Aykroyd had rewritten a version of the script that he said that Murray and Reitman would take part in, but by 2002, according to Aykroyd, Columbia had expressed concern over
29796-484: The studio that the film will be green-lit in the future. In February 2024, Kenan revealed that ideas for multiple future films in the Ghostbusters franchise had been discussed. Kenan specifically mentioned the Mini-Pufts storyline as something he and Reitman would like to expand upon. The Mini-Pufts are featured in the film's post-credits scene. In October 2024, Kenan confirmed that a sequel to Frozen Empire
29987-405: The studio with his concerns. Following his meetings with Sony, Reitman instead decided to drop out as director of the film, a combination of the impact of Ramis' death on his outlook, the struggles to get a third Ghostbusters film made, and a desire to work on smaller projects such as the recently completed Draft Day . Reitman committed to Sony to remain on in production and helped Sony look for
30178-432: The sudden spike in ghost appearances might be a sign of the apocalypse , pointing out that while they have come to treat capturing ghosts as routine pest control, in a very real sense the dead are literally "rising from the grave", potentially an omen of the apocalypse. Though Zeddemore has no previous background in paranormal studies and is not initially a firm believer in the existence of the paranormal, he readily accepts
30369-495: The supernatural chaos "Vigo Incident of '89", Clotch meets the ghost of deceased mayor Fiorello La Guardia , which was an unpleasant experience for him. By 1991, in Ghostbusters: The Video Game , he is succeeded by Jock Mulligan as mayor implying he has become governor. Decades later, in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , they are succeeded by Walter Peck. Walter Peck is a cynical and over-zealous inspector for
30560-415: The team after the ban against them is lifted. Winston later develops a dislike against Vigo the Carpathian after learning his atrocious past from Egon and Ray, calls him an "ugly dude" after seeing his portrait. He helps Stantz and Egon Spengler investigate a mysterious river of slime under the city and, in the process, revealed to have fears of underground pests like roaches and rodents before they encounter
30751-546: The team and reinstating Phoebe to avoid ruining his reputation, once again leading to another defeat for him (though not as humiliating as last time). Slimer is a translucent green blob creature , with two skinny arms, no feet, and several chins. In the first movie, Slimer was voiced by director Reitman, while Frank Welker voiced the green ghost in The Real Ghostbusters . In the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II , Robin Shelby performed Slimer and Reitman again voiced Slimer but most of
30942-468: The team's operations beyond New York City. Though the character did not appear in the 2021 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, old aura scans of Louis taken from when he was possessed by Vinz Clortho are in Egon's storm-cellar laboratory, acknowledging Moranis's past involvements to the franchise. Leonard "Lenny" Clotch is the mayor of New York City . He was played by David Margulies in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II , and by Frank Welker in
31133-432: The title " Rust City " during the development and pre-production stages to keep the project a secret. After the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, Aykroyd expressed interest in having the surviving cast of the original Ghostbusters team reprise their roles in up to three sequels. In April 2022, it was announced that a sequel to Afterlife was in early development. This was confirmed by Jason Reitman under
31324-442: The trio to flee the library in terror. Though they do not catch her, they get a scan of her and use the information to construct their containment grid and ghost-catching equipment, allowing the creation of their ghost-catching business. In Ghostbusters terminology from West End Games' role-playing game, The Grey Lady would be a Class 4 Free-Floating, Full-Torso, Vaporous Apparition, as she was human in appearance and later identified by
31515-424: The two unite in the Gozerian temple in the Shandor mines to summon Gozer. Phoebe and Trevor attempt to enact Egon's plan to trap Gozer by trapping Zuul inside a ghost trap with Gozer and Vinz pursuing them to the farm. But the trap fails a second time and Gozer frees Zuul, who possesses Lucky before she is trapped for good, alongside Vinz Clortho and Gozer, after the original Ghostbusters appear to aid, and Trevor fires
31706-423: The vehicle. In an episode of the cartoon where the Ghostbusters are sent back in time to the 1950s, Winston sees Ecto-1 in its original role as a hearse telling the other Ghostbusters he would know the vehicle anywhere, he says to the car, "Hang in there Ecto--better days are ahead for you", illustrating how fond Zeddemore is of the car. Ghostbusters: Afterlife would further this point, as Winston can be seen feeling
31897-457: The video game, the Ghostbusters discover her reading the Codex in the library's secret catacombs where she died before capturing her. Due to the ease of the capture, they state that she must have wanted them to recover the Codex to aid them in defeating Hoover after he died and became the guardian of the mandala node Shandor built into the library. Offscreen, she is later freed after the spirits of
32088-460: The whole thing. There's no point in doing it unless it's perfect". Etan Cohen was hired as lead scriptwriter for this version. The new script still centered on a wholly new cast, this time as students from Columbia University that become the new Ghostbusters due to discoveries from their research, with the original Ghostbusters actors, excluding Murray, reprising their roles in the supporting cast. Aykroyd stated that they left enough variability in
32279-472: The working title Firehouse two months later. With the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The ghostbusters franchise hit 1 billion dollars worldwide. According to the director commentary on the Ghostbusters DVD, the movie's cultural impact was felt almost immediately. The building that was Dana Barrett's apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as
32470-440: The year 2050, following a new team of Ghostbusters who capture ghosts from around the world. In August 2017, Reitman revealed that the series had been postponed to prioritize development on the planned Ghostbusters animated spin-off film. An animated streaming television series by Netflix was announced in June 2022. The series will be produced by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, both who produced Ghostbusters: Afterlife , and as
32661-411: The years since the Ghostbusters business collapsed, Winston has started a successful global enterprise, crediting his time as a Ghostbuster as his inspiration to start it. Despite his successes, Winston remains loyal to his friends and still thinks fondly of being a Ghostbuster, ready to return to action. It is also revealed that he is married, and it is stated by Winston that his children are aware that he
32852-414: Was a Ghostbuster. In the final act of the film, he arrives with Venkman and Ray to help the Spengler family deal with a returned Gozer. At the end of the film, being sentimental of his past, Winston buys the team's old firehouse headquarters back from Starbucks , and has the Ecto-1 restored and delivered there. Janine Melnitz knows that he has been paying the rent on Ray's occult bookstore for some time, as
33043-437: Was a commercial success, earning $ 204 million on a $ 75 million budget. The fourth film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , was released on March 22, 2024. Taking place three years after the third, the Spengler family decide to leave Summerville, Oklahoma, and go back to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – and help the original Ghostbusters, who have developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to
33234-403: Was also considered for the part. Winston Zeddemore's first on-screen appearance is in the movie Ghostbusters , when he responds to a help-wanted advertisement the team has posted in an attempt to deal with their sizable workload. Questioned extensively during his application by Janine Melnitz as to whether he believes in a large number of supernatural occurrences and beings (such as UFOs ,
33425-399: Was an animated film, produced by Reitman and distributed by Sony Pictures Animation . Fletcher Moules was hired to oversee the project as both an animator and the director. The film will be told from the perspective of ghosts. Following the release of Ghostbusters in 2016, Sony Pictures announced that a sequel to the film was in development. In November, Feig expressed his doubts that
33616-505: Was easily defeated since lacking a portal to Gozer's domain made it comparatively weaker than its initial manifestation along with its fixed manifestation as Stay Puft within Earth preventing Gozer from assuming more effective avatar forms and the fact the Ghostbusters upgraded their arsenal since their first encounter. Stay-Puft's defeat convinces a disillusioned Ivo Shandor to alter his plans while forsaking his faith in Gozer. Gozer returns in
33807-456: Was extended to a one-hour format. SLIMER! was briefly published by NOW Comics, a defunct Chicago firm. Artists included Mitch O'Connell and Mark Braun. Writers included Larry Parr who also wrote for the animated series. Slimer also appeared as a representative of The Real Ghostbusters in the animated anti-drug television special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue . Slimer was also the mascot for
33998-472: Was featured as a playable character in Ghostbusters II for NES . Winston was featured as a playable character in New Ghostbusters II for NES and Game Boy . A likeness of Hudson, circa 1991 (the year in which the game takes place) appears in the Ghostbusters: The Video Game that was released on June 16, 2009. Hudson also reprised his role for the game by voicing him. In the game, between
34189-504: Was in the works. From 1986 to 1991, Columbia Pictures Television and DIC Entertainment produced an animated spin-off television series created by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, entitled The Real Ghostbusters . "The Real" was added to the title due to a dispute with Filmation and its Ghostbusters properties . The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Venkman, Stantz, Spengler, Zeddemore, their secretary Melnitz, and their mascot ghost Slimer. The Real Ghostbusters
34380-548: Was intercut with a humorous performance by Parker and featured cameo appearances by celebrities who joined in the call and response chorus, including Chevy Chase , Irene Cara , John Candy , Nickolas Ashford , Melissa Gilbert , Jeffrey Tambor , George Wendt , Al Franken , Danny DeVito , Carly Simon , Peter Falk , and Teri Garr . The video ends with footage of the four main Ghostbusters actors, in costume and character, dancing in Times Square behind Parker, joining in
34571-402: Was interest from Columbia Pictures, they were reluctant to move forward, as Murray had become less interested in the project, Reitman had stepped aside to let them (Aykroyd and Ramis) lead the discussions, and by this time Ramis was more interested in directing films than acting in them. To deal with potential actor changes, the script was designed around introducing a new, younger cast serving as
34762-626: Was much more ambitious, and unfocused, than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghosts (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore SWAT -like outfits and used Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboards show them wearing riot squad –type helmets with movable transparent visors . The original draft of
34953-503: Was murdered in 1924 by philologist and oil tycoon Edmund Hoover, The Collector, a disciple of Ivo Shandor who seduced her for the Gozerian Codex among other rare books in her care. She is memorialized by the library as a dedicated staffmember who died protecting its properties. However, since Twitty's death, other librarians sense her haunting presence, eventually frightening one staff, Alice Melvin ( Alice Drummond ), in 1984. In
35144-485: Was nominated for an Emmy. When the show's producers began to see the youth appeal of the character Slimer, he began to be featured more prominently. In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters , and featured an hour-long format with a typical Real Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly Slimer! cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Real Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten
35335-462: Was offered the role, but had to drop out due to other commitments. After working with him the previous year on Trading Places , Dan Aykroyd originally wanted Eddie Murphy to play the role of Winston Zeddemore. Aware of his comic abilities, his characterization of Winston would have been in a semi-improvisational style, similar to Bill Murray 's performance as Peter Venkman. Murphy was too busy shooting Beverly Hills Cop to commit. Gregory Hines
35526-416: Was once a construction worker prior to joining the Ghostbusters. This idea seems to be further reinforced in the episode "The Brooklyn Triangle", when the Ghostbusters respond to a construction site headed by his father; this would indicate that it might have been a family business, until Winston decided to join the Ghostbusters. In the episode "Devil To Pay", Zeddemore mentions having a girlfriend, though she
35717-539: Was placed in a glass coffin within a Gozerian temple that he built under the Shandor Mines, which doubles as a backup portal for Gozer to manifest through in 2021. Egon learned of this and dies attempting to prevent Gozer's return. After Egon loses his life to stop Gozer, he wills his home to his estranged daughter Callie and grandchildren Phoebe and Trevor. Guided by Egon's spirit, Phoebe and Trevor discover his old ghostbusting equipment and learn of Shandor's plan. Revived in his body once Gozer fully manifests, Shandor praises
35908-436: Was portrayed by Emma Portner and an uncredited Olivia Wilde while voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo . Zuul and Vinz Clortho are the primary servants and harbingers of Gozer the Gozerian, their true forms being bipedal demons before manifesting in the physical world as horned quadruped hounds. Though they looked similar, Vinz's primary horns are twice as long as Zuul's. A pair of fully corporeal possessors, Zuul and Vinz seek out
36099-406: Was released on November 19, 2021. Taking place thirty-two years after the second, the Ghostbusters have disbanded and their legacy is mostly forgotten. A single mother and her children move to an Oklahoma farm they inherited from her estranged father, Egon Spengler , who went on a mission to prevent an apocalypse. The film was directed by Jason Reitman , son of original director Ivan Reitman, with
36290-733: Was the "slow" one of the group, much to Winston's surprise. When Shandor is destroyed, everyone flees the mausoleum. Winston carries the exorcised Mayor Mulligan outside until he regains consciousness. Zeddemore appears in Beeline Interactive 's Ghostbusters game for iOS . The game was released on January 24, 2013. Zeddemore appears in Lego Dimensions , with archival audio of Ernie Hudson being used to represent his character. Hudson again reprised his role as Zeddemore in 2022's asymmetrical 4v1 game Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed created by Illfonic . The opening sequence of
36481-423: Was used for the character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife , with Bob Gunton and Ivan Reitman acting as stand-ins for the late Ramis. LaMarche was the only voice actor to remain for the entirety of both series. Before the original movie was released, American Cinematographer described Egon as "maniacal" based on reading the script. Ramis credited the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been
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