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Ghostbusters

Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the other... Read all Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat. Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

• Katie Dippold
• Ivan Reitman
• Melissa McCarthy
• Kristen Wiig
• Kate McKinnon
• 2.5K User reviews
• 707 Critic reviews
• 60 Metascore
• See more at IMDbPro
• 5 wins & 24 nominations

• Erin Gilbert

• Jillian Holtzmann

• Patty Tolan

• Tour Guide Garrett

• Ed Mulgrave

• Harold Filmore

• Higgins Student

• Gertrude Aldridge Ghost

• Rowan North

• Electrocuted Ghost
• (as Dave Gruber Allen)

• Rental Agent

• Graffiti Artist
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Although Harold Ramis passed away in 2014 and thus could not make a cameo alongside his fellow castmates, there is a bust of Ramis' head just outside of Erin's university office near the beginning of the film. The bust was later donated to the Harold Ramis Film School at Chicago's Second City, where Ramis began his career.
• Goofs When you see the second shot of the outside of the Chinese restaurant/Ghostbusters base of operation (right after the subway train encounter), you can see the Ecto in the garage...this is before they even got the car from Patty. However, this mistake was digitally removed for the Blu-ray release.

Cabbie : I don't go to Chinatown, I don't drive wackos, and I ain't afraid of no ghosts!

• Crazy credits In the post-credit scene after the credits are over, you see the girls in their lab. Patty has on a headset and is listening to an audio tape, repeating one section several times. Erin asks if she has something. Patty answers, "What's Zuul?"
• Alternate versions Extended BluRay version is 2hs 13 mins long.
• Connections Featured in The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Zooey Deschanel/Kelly Clarkson/Paul Feig/Bonnie Raitt/Stephen 'tWitch' Boss (2016)
• Soundtracks Ghostbusters Written and Performed by Ray Parker Jr. (as Ray Parker, Jr.) Courtesy of Raydio Music Corp.

User reviews 2.5K

• Jul 21, 2021

Reboots & Remakes

• July 15, 2016 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
• Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Columbia Pictures
• LStar Capital
• Village Roadshow Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $144,000,000 (estimated)
• $128,350,574
• $46,018,755
• Jul 17, 2016
• $229,147,509

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 57 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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• Cast & Crew

Ghostbusters - Full Cast & Crew

• 71   Metascore
• 1 hr 45 mins
• Fantasy, Comedy, Science Fiction
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Unemployed parapsychologists devise a system for neutralising ghosts when New York City comes under attack from supernatural demons.

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The cast of Ghostbusters : Where are they now?

This scrappy supernatural crowd-pleaser boasted an all-star cast of comedians way back in 1984. Here's what the actors have been up to in between all those reboot cameos.

No, the highest-grossing film of 1984 wasn't Gremlins , Karate Kid , or Purple Rain . It wasn't even the year's most hotly anticipated sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom . Rather, the scrappy supernatural comedy Ghostbusters from Stripes director Ivan Reitman came out on top, bringing a horde of sketch comedy veterans ( Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Harold Ramis , Rick Moranis ) right along with it.

Speaking to EW for the film's 30th anniversary oral history , Reitman, who died in 2022 at age 75 , reflected proudly on the production of the Ghostbusters . "It was one of those lucky experiences where everything just turned out to be right, and the mixture of actors turned out to be really magical together."

Now, after 1989's sequel, 2016's women-led reboot , and 2021's less-than-satisfactory Afterlife revival (plus another on the way), EW is following up with the actors of the original sci-fi blockbuster. Here's what the Ghostbusters cast has been up to between all of those cameo appearances.

Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venckman)

Bill Murray began his storied career with Second City and the National Lampoon Radio Hour before making himself known to national audiences on Saturday Night Live . Film roles in Meatballs (1979, Caddyshack (1980), and Stripes (1981) cemented his cinematic credentials, but it was Ghostbusters that blew the actor (and the film itself) into the box-office stratosphere.

"Basically we were fortunate to have the greatest comic leading man of our generation come on and see the appeal of it and carry the ball right down and win the game for us," costar and screenwriter Dan Aykroyd told EW . "There would've been no success without Murray. We don't do these things alone, but I credit 50 percent of the success of that whole adventure to him, and we'll never see the likes of it again."

In the immediate aftermath of Ghostbusters , Murray took a dramatic turn with 1984's The Razor's Edge (which he also wrote), and made his musical debut in Little Shop of Horrors (1986) opposite Rick Moranis. After co-directing 1990's Quick Change , he gave a seminal performance in Ghostbuster scribe Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day (1993). He later breathed new life into his career with a key supporting role in Wes Anderson 's second feature, Rushmore (1998). The actor has since appeared in every subsequent Anderson film (including as the title character in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ), with the exception of the director's most recent work, the pleasant if frenetic sci-fi comedy Asteroid City (2023) .

Murray continued to work with some of the most compelling directors of the 21st century, receiving an Oscar nomination for his textured turn in Sofia Coppola 's Lost in Translation (2003) and headlining Jim Jarmusch 's Broken Flowers (2005). The actor made a round of creative reunions with roles in Jarmusch's inert The Dead Don't Die (2019), Coppola's On the Rocks (2020), and Anderson's byzantine The French Dispatch (2021).

Murray has long held a reputation for being hard to work with, which culminated in 2022 when production halted on the film set of Being Mortal following allegations against him for inappropriate conduct . Many actors, including Geena Davis and Seth Green , have since come forward with stories of alleged misconduct by Murray. Regardless of the negative press, his career has trotted onward with a Marvel debut in 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and plans to join the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel.

Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett)

Sigourney Weaver got her start onstage at Yale before making her screen debut through a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in Annie Hall (1977). Just two years later, she would headline one of the most influential sci-fi and horror films of all time: Ridley Scott 's Alien . Weaver returned as her iconic character Ellen Ripley for three sequels and even scored a Best Actress Oscar nomination for James Cameron's 1986 follow-up, Aliens . Then, she surprised everyone with a pivot toward comedy by playing Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters .

"Comedy actually was what I felt I did best, but after Alien , no one could imagine that I could be funny," Weaver told EW . "I'd been offered an Andy Kaufman project about two robots that fall in love, and I was so excited to work with him. But my agent convinced me that the script just wasn't good enough, so I had sort of tearfully let that go. So with Ghostbusters — which was brilliant and so funny and so full of heart — I was really determined."

And her determination paid off. Now regarded as one of cinema's most talented and versatile actors, Weaver has worked across genres (and budgets) over the last three decades and accumulated accolades from all corners of the industry. She played a back-stabbing boss in Working Girl (1988), a chilly (pardon the pun) suburban housewife in The Ice Storm (1997), an actor on an intergalactic mission in Galaxy Quest (1999), and half of a mother-daughter con artist team in the dark comedy Heartbreakers (2001), among many other films.

Then came her turn as Dr. Grace Augustine in 2009's Avatar , adding yet another seminal sci-fi franchise to her jam-packed resume. She remarkably returned to the 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water , as the teenage daughter of her past character, Dr. Augustine, who has been adopted into the Na'vi community. Alongside the cast of young actors playing other alien youths, Weaver trained in parkour, holding her breath, and underwater sign language so that she could accurately perform the film's extensive demands during shooting.

In 2023, Weaver was the best part of Paul Schrader 's low-stakes revenge drama Master Gardener , locating a wit and spice within the role that eludes the rest of the material. She has two further Avatar sequels on the horizon (in 2025 and 2029, respectively), as well as Scott Derrickson 's upcoming action-romance for Apple TV+, The Gorge .

Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Raymond Stantz)

Dan Aykroyd made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live as one of the original writers and performers. Prior to crafting the idea for Ghostbusters , he had worked with Steven Spielberg in 1941 (1979) and starred alongside longtime collaborator John Belushi in The Blues Brothers (1980), which he also wrote based on the pair's iconic SNL characters. The group was a genuine musical act as well, with real tours and albums. He continued his hot streak as a sought-after comedian, notably sparring with Eddie Murphy in Trading Places (1983) before writing and starring in Ghostbusters — but he couldn't have pulled it off on his own.

"Without Ivan [Reitman] and Harold [Ramis], [the script] would've had no shape," Aykroyd told EW . "Ivan did a good job of taking my whole throughline, as Harold encouraged us to do, and keep it alive: the industrial-hazard aspect of cleaning these spirits up and making sure that they don't bother us here in this dimension. That was the throughline: This is a tough job. That's why they smoke cigarettes — not because I'm promoting smoking. These guys were under stress, and I wanted to show the stress of being ghost cleaners, what it really would be like."

After many more comedy ventures, Aykroyd flexed his dramatic chops as Boolie Werthan in 1989's Driving Miss Daisy , earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He then made his directorial debut in 1991's Nothing But Trouble (a wonderfully demented horror-comedy), but things began to falter with critical failures like Coneheads (1993) and other high-profile misses (see: Celtic Pride , My Fellow Americans , the what-were-they-thinking spectacle of Blues Brothers 2000 ). Granted, Aykroyd still had a few hits during the '90s: Tommy Boy is solid, Grosse Pointe Blank is a classic that perhaps features his performance, and who among us had dry eyes during My Girl ?

Aykroyd continued acting in the new millennium with a string of roles that accentuated his natural, present energy and often left him standing out from his costars. He appeared as a military captain in the bombastic romance Pearl Harbor (2001), as the father to Britney Spears in Crossroads (2002), and in the Terence Davies adaptation of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth (2000). In a more predictable role, Aykroyd played a political official in Reitman's Evolution (2001), a spiritual successor to Ghostbusters that is a good deal of fun on its own.

In the last decade, Aykroyd has acted in Steven Soderbergh 's Liberace picture Behind the Candelabra (2013), in the Melissa McCarthy vehicle Tammy (2014), and in the James Brown biopic Get on Up (2014) starring Chadwick Boseman . He will return for the Afterlife sequel, as well.

Harold Ramis (Dr. Egon Spengler)

Like his costar Rick Moranis, the late Harold Ramis got his start in the early days of Second City Television ( SCTV ). For a time, Ramis was replaced in the cast by John Belushi before he found a niche as Belushi's sidekick. This began his historically fruitful and eventually rocky relationship with Bill Murray , as the two comedians were recruited by Belushi to work for the National Lampoon Radio Hour .

Ramis wrote the screenplays for the films Meatballs (1979) and Stripes (1981), which were both huge early vehicles for Murray's silver screen clout. The pair also collaborated in 1980 with Ramis' directorial debut, the seminal snobs vs. slobs comedy Caddyshack . He then directed (the Murray-free) National Lampoon's Vacation (1983). While Ramis enjoyed previous acting roles in some of his directing and writing ventures, his turn in Ghostbusters as Big Brain Dr. Egon Spengler remains his most culturally iconic. And, of course, he penned an incredible script with costar Dan Aykroyd.

But Ramis' best output is hands-down Groundhog Day (1993), the greatest time-loop comedy of all time. It's a terrific film that still holds up, but it led to a catastrophic falling out between Murray and Ramis that was only patched just before Ramis died in 2014 at age 69.

After Groundhog Day , Ramis directed a string of modest comedies, some of which ( Multiplicity , Analyze This, The Ice Harvest ) were better, or at least more interesting, than others ( Analyze That , Year One , that woeful remake of Bedazzled , which no amount of nostalgia nor retrospect will render whole).

Ramis enjoyed a few film roles in his later years, including a supporting part in As Good as It Gets (1997), an amusing cameo in Orange County (2002), and playing Seth Rogen 's dad in Knocked Up (2007), which is still the best of those Judd Apatow lad-with-a-bong comedies. Even so, he'll always be best remembered for his stunning contributions to comedy across decades.

"With his sly, Cheshire cat grin and twinkling, half-mast eyes hidden behind owlish glasses, Harold Ramis always gave the impression of a guy who was guarding the punchline to the world's funniest joke," wrote EW's critic in a tribute following the star's death . "After all, if anyone had the merry-prankster genius to conceive it, polish it into a jeweler-precise gem, and deliver it with crack comic timing, it was Ramis."

Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)

Ernie Hudson had previously worked with director Ivan Reitman on 1983's Spacehunter before netting the role of Winston, a sort of everyman who gets swept up fighting the supernatural in Ghostbusters .

"I get a lot of — not just Black kids — but a lot of minority kids who will come up to me and go, 'Oh, we're so thankful because it was the first big blockbuster movie and there was a black character and he didn't embarrass us,'" Hudson told EW in 2019 . "Just having him be there and be one of the guys, that meant a lot to them … I get that a lot."

After returning for the sequel and starring in the 1989 sci-fi horror film Leviathan , the actor worked steadily throughout the '90s with turns in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Crow (1994), Airheads (1994), The Basketball Diaries (1995), and Congo (1995). Yet it was after starring as Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz (1997–2003) that Hudson's career really began to soar.

Since then, he's enjoyed extended arcs on series like Desperate Housewives , The Family Business , Grace and Frankie , and more. Hudson has also stacked up over 50 feature film roles, including 2023's genial sports comedy Champions and the recent Ghostbusters reboots. He'll also be returning for the upcoming Afterlife sequel.

Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)

After netting a Golden Globe nomination for her film debut in 1978's Corvette Summer (opposite Mark Hamill ), Annie Potts joined the cast of Ghostbusters , played the ultimate Cool Girl record store clerk in Pretty in Pink (1986), and essayed her most iconic role as barbed single-mother Mary Jo Shively on Designing Women (1986–1993). She remained active in television with an Emmy-nominated role in the CBS sitcom Love & War (1993–1995) and earned a SAG nod for her turn in Lifetime's Any Day Now (1998–2002).

Even though she's acted in her fair share of comedic roles before and since Ghostbusters , the film's singular off-beat style and improvised delivery make it stand out to Potts decades later. "It was a very unique property and I think everybody saw that," she told EW . "Even with Bill and Ivan's success, it was like, 'What is this? A comedy? Sci-fi?' It was almost unclassifiable. I'd never seen anything like it. I thought, this is just going to be totally awesome or totally awful."

Aside from appearances in every subsequent Ghostbusters picture to date (including as a separate character in Paul Feig's 2016 reboot), Potts has kept busy while voicing Bo Peep in the Toy Story movies (excluding the third film) and playing the grandmother in Young Sheldon . Though she currently has no upcoming projects, we hope she'll come back for the Afterlife sequel — and be given more to do than her somewhat regressive cameo in the 2021 installment.

Rick Moranis (Louis Tully)

Before he played Louis Tully, Rick Moranis was already a celebrated disc jockey and television personality in Canada. As one of the (several) breakout stars of SCTV , he and costar Dave Thomas became widely known as their respective on-screen personas, Bob and Doug McKenzie. A year before Ghostbusters hit theaters, Moranis made his film debut in Strange Brew , a feature-length McKenzie brothers adventure. His other notable acting credits include Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Spaceballs (1987) and Parenthood (1989).

Outside of Ghostbusters and its immediate sequel, Moranis is famous for his turn in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) as family-man inventor Wayne Szalinksi, whose gadgets often bear tragic repercussions for his loved ones (the nature of which you can guess based on the title). It was followed by two franchise films: the appallingly titled Honey, I Blew up the Kid (1992) and the comparatively tame-sounding Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997).

In 1997, Moranis announced that he was taking a hiatus from the industry to raise his two children after his wife, Ann Belsky, died of cancer. In the meantime, he took on a few voice-acting gigs in projects like Brother Bear (2003). Fans were nevertheless disappointed to learn that he wouldn't return for a cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot along with other original cast members. "I wish them well," Moranis told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 . "I hope it's terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?"

After sporadic guest spots in film and television during the early aughts, Moranis appeared alongside Ryan Reynolds for a 2020 Mint Mobile advert. The same year, he announced that he would be reprising his role as Wayne for a new Honey film, tentatively titled Shrunk with Josh Gad. As of 2022, the project is still in development.

William Atherton (Walter Peck)

Perhaps best known for his role as the morally debauched television reporter Richard Thornburg in Die Hard (1988), William Atherton began his career with appearances in '70s titles such as The Day of the Locust (1975) and The Sugarland Express (1974), the latter of which was Steven Spielberg's debut theatrical feature.

After appearing as supercilious EPA company man Walter Peck in Ghostbusters , Atherton completed his trilogy of goofy comedies with Real Genius (1985) and Bio-Dome (1996). Recently, the actor had small parts in movies like the Tom Cruise epic The Last Samurai (2003) and the distasteful "psychological thriller" (read: torture porn of the lowest sort) The Girl Next Door (2007).

He will return as Walter Peck in the forthcoming sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife .

Related content:

• Ghostbusters cast reunite to talk about John Candy almost starring, and more
• Watch Ghostbusters star Bill Murray react to the Mini-Pufts in Afterlife sequel
• How Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights brought Ghostbusters and Us to life

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Screen Rant

Ghostbusters cast & character guide.

The original Ghostbusters was one of the landmark films of the 1980s, and its cast was filled with some of the biggest stars in comedy movie history.

The original Ghostbusters was one of the defining movies of its decade, and its cast comprised some of the biggest stars in comedy at the time. Released to immediate fanfare in 1984, Ghostbusters became a cultural phenomenon and has had a lasting impact as a franchise well into the 21st century through sequels and other media. With its mix of acerbic wit and goofball humor, the movie has its own comedic language that few films have been able to replicate. Ultimately, Ghostbusters shines because of its cast, which represents the cream of the comedy crop of the 1980s.

One of Ghostbusters ' strongest elements is its buddy comedy angle, and the assembled cast of ghost-hunting heroes exudes a sense of camaraderie and fun. Outside the main characters of the original Ghostbusters , the movie has a sparse, but well-cast set of supporting players who offer a contrast to the goofy energy of the leads. Legitimate actors like Sigourney Weaver give the audience someone to root for, and director Ivan Reitman was able to brilliantly marry all the film's disparate elements into a cohesive story. Even if one piece of this stellar Ghostbusters cast had been different, the movie wouldn't have had the same timeless spirit.

RELATED: Everything We Know About Ghostbusters 5

Bill Murray As Peter Venkman

Acting as the mouthpiece for the group, Bill Murray plays Peter Venkman, the Ghostbuster more interested in pursuing women than catching ghosts. Murray is one of the most successful former Saturday Night Live cast members , and he appeared in many of the biggest comedies of the '80s, like Caddyshack and Scrooged . After his part in the cast of Ghostbusters , Murray's most famous role came as Phil in 1993's Groundhog Day , and a decade later, he snagged an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his turn as Bob Harris in 2003's Lost in Translation . He also co-stars in most of Wes Anderson's movies and plays Lord Krylar in the MCU.

Dan Aykroyd As Ray Stantz

Played by Murray's fellow former SNL colleague Dan Aykroyd, Ray Stantz is the heart of the Ghostbusters and is best remembered for his bubbly enthusiasm for the paranormal. Though his portrayal of Elwood Blues in the 1980 cult classic The Blues Brothers was his breakout movie role, Aykroyd co-wrote and starred in Ghostbusters , which truly made him a Hollywood superstar. Though Ray would eventually become synonymous with Aykroyd, he followed the success of Ghostbusters with a string of hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s. One of Dan Aykroyd's biggest mainstream roles came as Boolie Werthan in 1989's Driving Miss Daisy, and he was nominated for an Oscar for the role.

Related: 10 Great Movies That Were Written By A Cast Member

Sigourney Weaver As Dana Barrett

Cast in the movie as the Ghostbusters' very first customer, as well as Peter's love interest, Sigourney Weaver plays Dana Barrett, a woman whose apartment is the subject of a mysterious haunting. Sigourney Weaver's horror movies put her on the map, and her turn as Ellen Ripley in 1979's Alien made her the ultimate interstellar scream queen. She reprised that iconic role in several sequels while also delivering award-winning performances in movies like 1988's duo of Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl . Weaver has managed to attach herself to several major franchises, and she appeared in both 2009's Avatar and its 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water .

Harold Ramis As Egon Spengler

Harold Ramis appears in the cast of Ghostbusters as Egon Spengler, the team's tech genius who is the most soft-spoken of the bunch, and he also co-wrote the movie with Aykroyd. Mostly known for his work behind the camera, Harold Ramis directed such classic comedies as Caddyshack , National Lampoon's Vacation , and Groundhog Day while only making sporadic appearances on screen. Spengler was Ramis's most famous role by far, but he also famously played Russell Ziskey in the 1981 army comedy Stripes , which he co-wrote. Besides appearing in 1989's Ghostbusters II , Ramis also had a humorous turn as Dr. Bettes in the award-winning comedy As Good as It Gets in 1997.

Ernie Hudson As Winston Zeddemore

Brought in to join the team after their infamous hotel escapade in the middle of the movie, Winston Zeddemore is the working-class Ghostbuster who is just along for the paycheck and provides an outsider's perspective. Zeddemore was a breakout role for Ernie Hudson, and it continues to be his most famous part. However, outside Hudson's role in the Ghostbusters movie franchise cast , he also appeared as Detective Albrecht in the 1994 cult classic The Crow and landed major roles as Jacob on Grace and Frankie , "Magic" on 2022's Quantum Leap reboot, and L.C. Duncan on BET's The Family Business .

Rick Moranis As Louis Tully

Rick Moranis plays Louis Tully, a nerdy accountant and neighbor of Dana Barrett who unintentionally crosses paths with the Ghostbusters. After his breakout role in the cast of Ghostbusters , Moranis became even more famous for his turns as Seymour in the musical film Little Shop of Horrors in 1986 and Dark Helmet in the following year's Spaceballs . Though Moranis didn't return for Ghostbusters: Afterlife , his career has always been closely associated with the comedy franchise. Moranis is also known for his earlier work on SCTV and for playing Wayne Szalinski in 1989's Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and its sequels, which gained him an even larger audience in the 1990s.

RELATED: Every Ghostbusters Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Ghostbusters Supporting Cast & Characters

Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz - Though Annie Potts's turn as the Ghostbuster's sarcastic receptionist, Janine, is her most famous role, the accomplished comedy actor also appeared in other '80s classics like Pretty in Pink , and Jumpin' Jack Flash , both in 1986. She was also one of the stars of the sitcom Designing Women . Pott's other most famous part came as the voice of Bo Peep in 1995's Toy Story , a role she would also reprise for the sequels.

William Atherton as Walter Peck - Ostensibly the villain of the film, William Atherton plays Walter Peck, a man with a grudge against the Ghostbusters who tries to shut them down, causing chaos in the process. A prototypical yuppy heel, Atherton's most famous part came as Richard Thornburg in 1988's Die Hard .

David Margulies as Mayor Lenny Clotch - Appearing among the cast of Ghostbusters as the mayor of New York City, David Margulies plays the hapless public servant who isn't sure about the services that the title characters provide his city. Most remembered for his appearance in the Bob Fosse biopic All That Jazz in 1979, Margulies also appeared in other '80s classics like Brighton Beach Memoirs and 9 1/2 Weeks , both in 1986.

Slavitza Jovan as Gozer - Actor Slavitza Jovan appears in the cast of Ghostbusters as the physical form of Gozer in the movie's exciting climax. Ghostbusters was Jovan's most famous film, though she also appeared as a scary nurse in the 1999 remake of House of Haunted Hill .

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The stars of ‘ghostbusters’: where are they now.

See what the 'Ghostbusters' cast — including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver — have been up to since the first 'Ghostbusters' movie hit theaters 35 years ago on June 8, 1984 and since sequel 'Ghostbusters II' hit theaters on June 16, 1989.

By Katherine Schaffstall

Katherine Schaffstall

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It's been 35 years since Ghostbusters answered the question, "Who you gonna call?" when the sci-fi comedy hit theaters on June 8, 1984.

The movie follows three former parapsychology professors and a retired Marine who create a unique business to remove ghosts for their clients. Bill Murray starred as the group's leader Peter Venkman, while Dan Aykroyd portrayed Ray Stantz, Harold Ramis starred as Egon Spengler and Ernie Hudson played Winston Zeddemore.

The film also starred Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and David Margulies.

Following the critical praise and box office success of the 1984 film, Ghostbusters II debuted in theaters on June 16, 1989 with many of the original castmembers reprising their roles.

Aykroyd and Ramis penned the screenplays for both films, while Ivan Reitman directed.

The franchise has remained relevant over the years and has inspired a number of related projects, including the 2016 female-fronted reboot, which starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. That film, which was directed by Paul Feig, received intense online backlash from fans of the original films who didn't want to see Ghostbusters remade with female characters.

Jason Reitman, who is the son of original Ghostbusters helmer Reitman, is set to direct the latest film in the franchise.

Read on to see what the cast of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II have been up to since Venkman, Ray and Egon opened their paranormal business.

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'ghostbusters' director jason reitman promises to "hand the movie back to the fans", bill murray (peter venkman).

Murray portrayed Peter Venkman, the unofficial leader of the Ghostbusters. He is known for his blunt persona, laidback approach to his profession as a scientist and womanizing behavior. The actor had already made a name for himself in projects like Caddyshack and for starring and writing for Saturday Night Live prior to his role in Ghostbusters . Murray has gone on to star in Nothing Lasts Forever, Little Shop of Horrors, Scrooged, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Wild Things, Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, Zombieland, Get Low, Moonrise Kingdom, Hyde Park on Hudson, The Grand Budapest Hotel, St. Vincent, Aloha and The Dead Don't Die . Additionally, he appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters film as Martin Heiss. Murray will next appear in Zombieland: Double Tap, The French Dispatch and On the Rocks. On the TV side, Murray has made guest appearances on Alpha House, Parks and Recreation and Angie Tribeca . He starred in the Netflix holiday special A Very Murray Christmas in 2015 and currently co-hosts the Facebook Watch series Bill Murray & Brian Doyle-Murray's Extra Innings. Murray won his second Primetime Emmy Award in 2015 for his supporting role as Jack Kennison in Olive Kitteridge , while he won his first Emmy in 1977 in the writing for a variety series category for SNL.

Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz)

Aykroyd starred as Ray Stantz, a member of the Ghostbusters who is often considered the "heart" of the group. Not only did the actor star in the hit film and its sequel, but he also co-wrote the screenplays for both films with Harold Ramis. The former Saturday Night Live star has kept busy since his days of hunting ghosts. His acting credits include Nothing Lasts Forever, My Girl, Grosse Point Blank, Pearl Harbor, Crossroads, Christmas with the Kranks, 50 First Dates, Tammy and Pixels . He also earned an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role of Boolie Werthan in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy . He wrote and starred in  The Blues Brothers, Spies Like Us, Dragnet, Coneheads and Blues Brothers 2000. He also wrote and directed the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. Aykroyd made a cameo appearance as a taxi driver in 2016's Ghostbusters and executive produced the film. The actor has made guest appearances on a number of TV shows including The Nanny, Home Improvement, According to Jim, Family Guy and Workin' Moms . He also hosted the science fiction show Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal from 1996 to 2000 and starred in the sitcom Soul Man from 1997 to 1998.

Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler)

Ramis starred as the third member of the Ghostbusters, who is the brains of the group and Peter's second-in-command. After starring in and co-writing Ghostbusters and its sequel, Ramis acted in the films Airheads, As Good As It Gets, The Last Kiss, Knocked Up and Year One . Known for his work off camera, Ramis made his directorial debut in 1980 with Caddyshack , which he also wrote. He went on to write films including Back to School, Caddyshack II and Rover Dangerfield . He both directed and wrote Groundhog Dog, Analyze This, Bedazzled, Analyze That and Year One . In 1993, Ramis won the best original screenplay BAFTA for Groundhog Day. Ramis died at the age of 69 in 2014 . His death was caused by complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, which he was first diagnosed with in 2010.

Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)

Hudson portrayed Winston, the only member of the Ghostbusters that lacks a background in science. Winston, who is a former Marine, is recruited to join the paranormal business when the service become more in demand. Since starring in both Ghostbusters films, Hudson has acted in the movies Airheads, The Basketball Diaries, Congo, Shark Attack, Miss Congeniality, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Turning Point, You're Not You, God's Not Dead 2, Spaceman and Nappily Ever After . He also made a cameo in 2016's Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill Jenkins. Hudson starred in HBO's Oz as Warden Leo Glynn from 1996 to 2003 and on ABC's 10-8: Officers on Duty as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes from 2003 to 2004. He has also made guest appearances on a number of TV shows, including Desperate Housewives, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Angie Tribeca, Blue Bloods and Arrow . And he had recurring roles on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Transformers: Prime and Grace and Frankie. Hudson currently stars as Joseph Burnett on the Spectrum original series L.A.'s Finest.

Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett)

Weaver starred in the films as Dana Barrett, a cellist that lives at 550 Central Park West. The sinister apartment building ultimately becomes the gateway for the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian. She seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after she becomes an early target of the paranormal entity. Since appearing in Ghostbusters and its sequel, Weaver has gone on to act in the films Dave, Death and the Maiden, Galaxy Quest, Holes, Baby Mama, WALL-E, Avatar, Paul, The Cabin in the Woods, A Monster Calls and The Assignment . Like most of the cast of the original Ghostbusters , Weaver made a cameo in the 2016 reboot as Dr. Rebecca Gorin. The actress is next set to appear in the films Avatar 2, Avatar 3 and My Salinger Years. On the TV side, Weaver has made appearances on  Futurama, Eli Stone and Doc Marten, while she has starred in  Political Animals and The Defenders . Weaver has been nominated for three Academy awards for her roles in Alien, Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl , while she won Golden Globes for the latter two roles. In addition to her work onscreen, Weaver has appeared in a number of stage productions including The Guys, The Mercy Street, Crazy Mary and Love Letters.

Rick Moranis (Louis Tully)

Moranis starred as Louis Tully, Dana's nerdy neighbor who works as an accountant. In between Ghostbusters and its sequel, Moranis starred in Little Shop of Horrors and Spaceballs . Since starring in Ghostbusters II , the actor has gone on to appear in the films Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Parenthood, My Blue Heaven, The Flintstones and Big Bully . He also voiced the character Rutt in Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2 . The former SCTV actor has appeared in the television specials The Earth Day Special, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids, Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary and An Afternoon with SCTV. Moranis co-created the animated sitcom Bob & Doug alongside Dave Thomas. The series ran for two seasons on Global from 2009 to 2011. Additionally, Moranis has released three comedy albums. The first was You, Me, the Music and Me in 1989, followed by 2005's The Agoraphobic Cowboy and 2013's My Mother's Brisket & Other Love Songs . The Agoraphobic Cowboy was nominated in the best comedy album category at the 2006 Grammy Awards. He turned down a chance to cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters film, but contrary to rumors, he hasn't retired . 

Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)

Potts portrayed Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' secretary. After starring in the first Ghostbusters film, Potts appeared in Crimes of Passion, Pretty in Pink and Jumpin' Jack Flash . Following Ghostbusters II , she starred in Texasville, Breaking the Rules, Elvis Has Left the Building, Two For One, Humor Me and Happy Anniversary. The actress also voiced the character of Bo Peep in Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and the upcoming Toy Story 4 . Potts starred as Mary Jo Shivley on CBS's Designing Women from 1986 to 1993, as Dana Palladino on CBS's Love & War and as Mary Elizabeth "M.E." Sims on Lifetime's Any Day Now from 1998 to 2002. The actress currently stars as Meemaw on CBS'  Young Sheldon. She has also had recurring roles on the shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Fosters and Chicago Med . Potts appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot as a hotel clerk named Vanessa.

David Margulies (Lenny Clotch)

Margulies appeared in both Ghostbusters films as Lenny Clotch, the mayor of New York City. Following his role in the Ghostbusters films, Margulies appeared in movies including Out on a Limb, A Stranger Among Us, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , All Good Things and Fading Gigolo . His television credits include the recurring roles of Neil Mink on The Sopranos and as Elie Wiesel on Madoff , as well as guest appearances on NYPD Blue, The Good Wife and Blue Bloods. He also appeared in a number of stage productions including A Thousand Clowns, 45 Seconds to Broadway and Wonderful Town . Margulies died after a battle with cancer in 2016. He was 79.

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Ghostbusters

1984, Comedy/Fantasy, 1h 47m

What to know

Critics Consensus

An infectiously fun blend of special effects and comedy, with Bill Murray's hilarious deadpan performance leading a cast of great comic turns. Read critic reviews

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Ghostbusters videos, ghostbusters   photos.

After the members of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City, they decide to become "ghostbusters" to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters must now save New York from complete destruction.

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Ivan Reitman

Producer: Ivan Reitman

Writer: Dan Aykroyd , Harold Ramis

Release Date (Theaters): Jun 8, 1984  wide

Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 29, 2014

Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA): $298.5M

Runtime: 1h 47m

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Production Co: Columbia Pictures, Black Rhino Productions, Delphi Films

Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby Stereo, Surround

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

View the collection: Ghostbusters

Cast & Crew

Bill Murray

Doctor Peter Venkman

Dan Aykroyd

Doctor Raymond Stantz

Harold Ramis

Doctor Egon Spengler

Sigourney Weaver

Dana Barrett, Zuul, The Gate Keeper

Rick Moranis

Louis Tully, Vinz Clortho, The Key Master

Annie Potts

Janine Melnitz

William Atherton

Walter Peck

Ernie Hudson

Winston Zeddemore

Ivan Reitman

Bernie Brillstein

Executive Producer

Michael C. Gross

Associate Producer

Joe Medjuck

László Kovács

Cinematographer

David E. Blewitt

Film Editing

Sheldon Kahn

Elmer Bernstein

Original Music

Ray Parker Jr.

Original Songs

John DeCuir

Production Design

John DeCuir Jr.

Art Director

Robert Drumheller

Set Decoration

Marvin March

Theoni V. Aldredge

Costume Design

Leonard Engelman

Makeup Artist

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Critic Reviews for Ghostbusters

Audience reviews for ghostbusters.

I know a lot of Gen-Xers hold a nostalgic place in their hearts for the original "Ghostbusters," but I just couldn't really get into it. Bill Murray's lazy snark is just not my cuppa, and the demon hunting plot is just kinda whatever.

Ghostbusters is an absolute classic! Awesome nostalgic fun as well as having likable characters with cool special effects!

"Ghostbusters" is an amazing Sci-FI/Action film. "Ghostbusters" has got great acting from "Bill Murray" and "Ernie Hudson". "Ghostbusters" has got an exciting plot to it, to make it even better it has funny dialogue. The special effects in this movie are good, but some scenes could be improved. The soundtrack in this movie is just incredible, with the classic "Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS" other than that the sound makes the scenes better and better. I recommend watching the movie that will always remain a classic "Ghostbusters". I give "Ghostbusters" a 9/10.

A riotously funny inter-dimensional channeling of high concept sci-fi and low concept comedy, Ghostbusters scares up just as much adulation today for the same reasons it did back then: Bill Murray's deadpan delivery and Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis's hilariously fun script. Aside from the scarily poor special effects, the climax still ranks as Ghostbusters' chief sticking point. The 3rd act lead-up drags and the rooftop showdown is never as out-and-out funny as anything in the first two acts. When this is all you have to complain about, then - ahem - Boo Hoo. The arrival of the skyscraper-height Stay Puft Marshmallow Man more than fills the final act's joke quotient and, frankly, the dodgy SFX weren't paraded around as the best of the best back then either. In the 30th anniversary re-release of this PG-rated modern classic comedy, three unemployed parapsychology professors (Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis) set up shop as a unique ghost removal service. From the get-go, this is Murray's vehicle--we're just riding in it. Sure, he's often more readily identified with Groundhog Day than this ensemble piece, but the actor's perfectly played performance as a dubious scientist - one who rarely takes anything seriously - never lets up with laughs. Seriously, root through the now-iconic scenes and dialogue to re-discover the rich wealth of one-liners he delivers at an almost machine gun clip. Reveling in showing audiences both oddball actors at the top of their game and literally otherworldly situations, Ivan Reitman's direction points up the academia and modern science-skewing humor in the script while making you wonder how this often biting flick could've ever only be rated PG. Bottom line: Who Ya Still Gonna Call?

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