"Ghostbusters" turns 30: Then and now
Who you gonna call?
Three decades have passed since "Ghostbusters" first spooked its way into theaters on June 8, 1984. The paranormal comedy ended up taking home $291.6 million at the global box office -- an impressive figure for a comedy even for today's times.
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson starred as a gang of experts hunting down the supernatural, with Sigourney Weaver playing one of their haunted clients.
The film served as the launching pad for a successful media franchise, with the release of toys, books and even a highly-popular Hi-C "ecto-cooler" beverage based around the Ghostbusters. A theatrical sequel, "Ghostbusters II," followed in 1989 in addition to several animated spin-off series, but nothing can scare away memories of the original.
In celebration of the film's 30th anniversary, have a look at what the cast has been up to over the years.
By: Ken Lombardi
Bill Murray -- Then
As a former cast member on "Saturday Night Live," and thanks to prior roles in films like "Caddyshack," Murray was one of the cast's most recognizable faces when "Ghostbusters" was first released.
Murray played Dr. Peter Venkman, a ladies man and de factor leader of the group.
Bill Murray -- Now
At 63, Murray is still making regular appearances on the big screen.
His career did quiet down a bit though in the mid-1990s, only to resurge again with his standout role in 1998's "Rushmore," directed by Wes Anderson. He received an Oscar nomination for his turn as a faded actor in Sofia Coppola's 2003 release, "Lost in Translation." Over the last decade and a half, Murray has worked frequently with Anderson, on projects like "The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," "The Darjeeling Limited," "Moonrise Kingdom" and, most recently, "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
Dan Aykroyd -- Then
In addition to playing paranormal expert Dr. Ray Stantz, Aykroyd also came up with the story and helped pen the screenplay, which was originally darker and more epic in tone. Aykroyd wrote the initial draft with his "Blue Brothers" co-star John Belushi in mind for the role of Venkman, a part that went to fellow "SNL" alum Bill Murray after the "Animal House" star's death from a drug overdose in 1982.
Dan Aykroyd -- Now
Some of Aykroyd's more notable film roles after "Ghostbusters" include 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy (for which he received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination) and 1991's "My Girl."
On the flip side, Akroyd has had his share of duds, like the 1994 box office disasters "North" and "Exit to Eden." And who can forget the mess that was "Nothing But Trouble"?
The 61-year-old entertainer's most recent role was as the voice of the Scarecrow in 2014's "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return." Last year, Aykroyd had a supporting part in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed HBO movie about Liberace, "Behind the Candelabra."
In the 1990s, he penned a script for "Ghosbuters III" -- a proposed sequel that has been stuck in development hell for years.
Ernie Hudson -- Then
Hudson's breakout role came in the form of Winston Zeddemore, the newest addition to the Ghostbusters team.
Ernie Hudson -- Now
The actor's credits after "Ghostbusters" include "The Crow" and a prominent role on the hit HBO series, "Oz." Hudson has had memorable guest turns on TV shows like "Modern Family" and "Law & Order." He will next appear in "You're Not You," a drama starring Hilary Swank and Josh Duhamel, now in post-production.
Sigourney Weaver -- Then
Weaver just couldn't catch a break with monsters in the '70s and '80s. After being terrorized by a venomous extraterrestrial in the ground-breaking "Alien," Weaver was met with more creature turmoils in "Ghostbusters" as Dana Barrett, a musician who contacts the ghoul-fighters when her Manhattan apartment gets taken over by a demonic presence. The straight-laced Dana served as the perfect romantic foil for the womanizing Venkman.
Sigourney Weaver -- Now
Weaver went on to receive three Oscar nominations for her performances in the films "Aliens," "Working Girl" and "Gorillas in the Mist."
The 64-year-old actress is currently working on the sequel to James Cameron's 2009 box office hit, "Avatar."
Annie Potts -- Then
Sporting a thick New York accent, the Tennessee-born Potts played the group's wise-cracking secretary, Janine.
Annie Potts -- Now
Potts became a TV star as a main cast member on "Designing Women" from 1986-1993. She also had a memorable turn in the 1986 John Hughes classic, "Pretty in Pink."
As with most of the original "Ghostbusters" cast members, Potts reprised her role in the 1989 sequel.
Potts went on to star on the Lifetime series "Any Day Now" from 1998-2002. In 2013, she had a reoccurring guest role on "The Fosters."
Rick Moranis -- Then
One of the comedic highlights of "Ghostbusters" came with Moranis' performance as Dana Barrett's obnoxiously nosy neighbor, Louis Tully.
Much of the character's memorable lines and seemingly-never-ending monologues were ad-libbed by Moranis himself during filming.
Rick Moranis -- Now
Box office hits followed for Moranis after "Ghostbusters," with starring roles in films like 1986's "Little Shop of Horrors," 1987's "Spaceballs" and the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" film series.
In 1997, Moranis retired from acting to focus on raising his two children as a single dad. His wife, Ann, died from liver cancer in 1991.
The Canadian actor has done some voice work occasionally since his retirement began. His last vocal credit was 2006's "Brother Bear 2."
William Atherton -- Then
William Atherton played the film's human antagonist, the shrewd EPA inspector Walter Peck, determined to bring down the Ghostbusters at any cost.
William Atherton -- Now
Atherton found it difficult to break away from his jerk persona following the release of "Ghostbusters."
Atherton famously quipped once that the film "ruined my life."
He subsequently appeared as an incredibly annoying reporter in the "Die Hard" films.
Despite being typecast as a villain, Atherton appears to hold no hard feelings against the franchise. He lent his voice to the 2009 "Ghostbusters" video game, which garnered a favorable response from critics and fans.
Ray Parker Jr. -- Then
The recording artist had scored two modest hits -- 1982's "The Other Woman" and 1983's "I Still Can't Get Over Loving You" -- before the release of his signature "Ghostbusters" movie theme catapulted him into stardom.
With its catchy chorus, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1984, before going on to land an Academy Award nomination for best original song.
Parker has said that he came up with the idea for the song while watching cheap infomercials late at night.
Ray Parker Jr. -- Now
The R&B vocalist and musician still continues to tour around the world, with "Ghostbusters" remaining his signature classic.
"Seven-year-old kids know who I am because of that song," Parker recently told the San Jose Mercury News.
Harold Ramis
Ramis co-wrote the "Ghostbusters" script with Aykroyd. Ramis never intended to co-star in the project but eventually felt that he was the only one suited to play nerdy team member Dr. Egon Spengler.
Before "Ghostbusters," Ramis had directed "Caddyshack," which starred Murray, and the 1983 hit comedy, "National Lampoon's Vacation."
He teamed up with Murray again as the director of 1993's influential "Groundhog Day." He also directed 1999's "Analyze This," starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal.
Ramis died in February in his native Chicago after suffering an inflammatory blood vessel disease. He was 69. Murray paid tribute to Ramis in March by drawing attention to his work at the 86th annual Academy Awards.
Ramis' death has left the possibilities of a "Ghostbusters III" up in the air, although officials from Sony have said that plans for a new installment will continue, centering on a new generation of Ghostbusters.
