Ghostbusters II
Sequel to the 1984 hit, released to generally negative reviews.
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Ghostbusters II is a 1989 American supernatural comedy film. Ivan Reitman directed it, and Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wrote the screenplay. The cast includes Bill Murray, Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts. It is the sequel to the 1984 film *Ghostbusters* and the second movie in the franchise. The story takes place five years after the first film. The Ghostbusters have been sued and forced to stop working because of the destruction caused during their fight with the god Gozer. When a new supernatural danger appears, they get back together to stop it and save the world.
Columbia Pictures wanted a sequel after the first film’s success, but the cast and crew had objections that were hard to overcome. Aykroyd and Ramis wrote the script together, going through many different versions. They wanted to show how negative human emotions in big cities can have consequences. They decided that bad feelings create a mass of supernatural slime under New York City, which gives power to evil spirits. The budget was between $30 and $40 million. Filming took place from November 1988 to March 1989 in New York City and Los Angeles. The production was rushed, and large parts of the film were thrown out after test screenings went poorly. New scenes were written and filmed during reshoots from March to April 1989, just two months before the movie came out.
The film was released on June 16, 1989, and got mostly negative reviews. Critics said it copied the original too much and made the cynical, dark humor softer to appeal to families. However, the performances of Peter MacNicol and Rick Moranis were often praised. Since the first film was the highest-grossing comedy ever at the time, *Ghostbusters II* was expected to do very well at the box office. Instead, it earned $215.4 million during its theatrical run, compared to the original’s $282.2 million. It was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. Columbia Pictures considered it a failure, which discouraged Murray from taking part in a third movie. The soundtrack single, "On Our Own" by Bobby Brown, was a hit and spent 20 weeks on U.S. music charts.
The film did not have the same cultural impact or following as the first one. It was seen as the reason the franchise stalled for decades, though its reputation has improved over time.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Writer
- Harold Ramis · Dan Aykroyd
- Based On
- Characters · Dan Aykroyd · Harold Ramis
- Starring
- Bill Murray / Dan Aykroyd / Sigourney Weaver / Harold Ramis / Rick Moranis / Ernie Hudson / Annie Potts
- Music
- Randy Edelman
- Cinematography
- Michael Chapman
- Editing
- Donn Cambern · Sheldon Kahn
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures
- Released
- 16 June 1989
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After the success of Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures wanted a sequel but faced objections from the cast and crew. Aykroyd and Ramis collaborated on the script, which went through many variations, settling on a message about negative human emotions creating a mass of supernatural slime that empowers malevolent spirits. Filming took place between November 1988 and March 1989 in New York City and Los Angeles, with a budget of $30–40 million. Production was rushed, and large sections were scrapped after poorly received test screenings, leading to re-shoots between March and April 1989, only two months before release.
The plot is set five years after the first film. The Ghostbusters have been sued and barred from investigating the supernatural. Dana Barrett, Peter Venkman's ex-girlfriend, contacts them after her infant son Oscar is endangered. They discover a river of slime beneath the city that reacts to emotions and is connected to Vigo the Carpathian, a 16th-century tyrant in a painting who seeks to possess Oscar. The Ghostbusters eventually use positively charged slime to animate the Statue of Liberty, rallying citizens with positive emotions to weaken Vigo and defeat him.
Reader's Guide
Ghostbusters II was released on June 16, 1989, to generally negative reviews, with critics calling it a copy of the original and noting a softening of its cynical humor to be more family-friendly. The performances of Peter MacNicol and Rick Moranis were repeatedly praised. Despite being the sequel to the then-highest-grossing comedy, the film earned $215.4 million compared to the original's $282.2 million, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. Columbia Pictures deemed it a failure, effectively dissuading Bill Murray from participating in a third film. Its soundtrack single 'On Our Own' by Bobby Brown was a success, spending 20 weeks on the US charts. The film failed to replicate the cultural impact of the first film and was seen as stalling the franchise for decades, though its reception has improved retrospectively. It spawned merchandise including video games, board games, comic books, music, toys, and haunted houses.
Did You Know?
- The film's budget was $30–40 million, and production was rushed, with large sections scrapped after poorly received test screenings.
- The soundtrack single 'On Our Own' by Bobby Brown spent 20 weeks on the United States music charts.
- The film earned $215.4 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1989.
- The character Vigo the Carpathian was played by Wilhelm von Homburg and voiced by Max von Sydow.
More in Characters & Cast
Elsewhere in Ghostbusters
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