Beloved comedy “Ghostbusters” celebrates its 30th anniversary of its release on June 8, and Vanity Fair has marked the occasion with a big, behind the scenes feature that every die-hard fan has jumped on. The filmmakers and actors dished on the secret scoop of the cult favorite. No matter how many times you’ve seen the infinitely quotable movie, however, there’s always something new to learn.
Ahead, the six most surprising things we learned about “Ghostbusters.”
The Slimer Is Based On John Belushi
Dan Aykroyd was originally writing the film for himself and “Saturday Night Live” buddy John Belushi to star in, but midway through the writing process, Belushi died of a heroin overdose.
He does make an appearance in the final film — kinda. The Slimer, Akyroyd said, was based on “John’s body. I will admit to having an inspiration along those lines.”
Sigourney Weaver’s Character Was Model Material
Love interest Dana, played by Sigourney Weaver, was originally written as a model, but became a musician at Weaver’s suggestion.
“She could be kind of uptight and a bit strict, but you know she has a soul because she plays the cello,” Weaver said.
Bill Murray Will Turn Your World Upside-Down…Literally.
Weaver recalled her first meeting in New York with Murray, saying it was somewhat symbolic.
“I went over and I introduced myself and he said, ‘Hello, Susan,’” she said. “[Then] he picked me up and put me over his shoulder and walked down the block with me. . . . It was a great metaphor for what happened to me in the movie: I was just turned upside down and I think I became a much better actress for it.”
The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Almost Had To Be Cut
With a short amount of time to complete the editing and effects for the movie, one sequence in particular, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, posed particular problems.
“I think we built nine different suits,” effects supervisor Richard Edlund said, “and several of them went up in flames.”
It Almost Wasn’t Called ‘Ghostbusters’
A children’s show also used the name “The Ghost Busters.” Eventually, the filmmakers were able to legally clear the title.
John Candy Was Supposed To Be In The Movie
Comedian Candy was set to play Louis Tully, but had some ideas when he read the script that left director Ivan Reitman cold.
“[Candy] said, ‘I don’t know about this. I could do it, but I should do it with a German accent,’” Reitman said. “He wanted [to be flanked] by two big dogs. I said, ‘I’m sorry, John — maybe next time.’”
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