The original Ivan Reitman-directed comedy debuted way back in June 1984, when Van Halen was on top of the charts, Princess Di was expecting, and "Reaganomics" was in full effect.
Dressed in their iconic jumpsuits and armed with those comical nuclear accelerators, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis were a hit with audiences as they portrayed washed-up university scientists turned spook hunters.
A much anticipated but critically panned sequel, Ghostbusters II, followed in 1989 before the franchise was seemingly mothballed for the next two decades. Until now.
As the 25th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters approaches, several projects, including maybe even a big-screen revival, loom on the horizon.
Long-starved fans of the "boys in grey" can expect to see a lot more of that familiar no-ghost logo.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Arguably one of the most anticipated video game releases of the year, Atari's Ghostbusters: The Video Game is set to finally breathe some life into the long-dormant Ghostbusters franchise.
Set in 1991, two years after the events of Ghostbusters II, the player will take on the role of a rookie ghostbuster as the team attempts, yet again, to save New York City from a cataclysmic supernatural event.
The game is largely being treated as the third proper entry in the Ghostbusters canon as the film's original writers, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, have penned the game's script, an unusual move for a film-to-game adaptation.
In addition, much of the original cast have returned to lend their voices and likenesses, including the mercurial Bill Murray, who will once again play charming slacker scientist Peter Venkman.
The game will also feature the original movie score by the late Elmer Bernstein, the hit theme song by Ray Parker, Jr., and memorable foes from the classic movie, including the gluttonous green ghost Slimer and the mammoth Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is set to be unleashed June 16, 2009, to coincide with the film's 25th anniversary. It will be available on the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.
Ghostbusters Gets High-Def Treatment on Blu-Ray
A long-awaited item for many fans, Ghostbusters will finally get to be seen in all its high-definition glory when the movie is issued for the first time in Sony's Blu-ray format.
To be released side-by-side with the video game on June 16, Ghostbusters Blu-ray will feature more than just a sharper transfer of the film.
In addition to the featurettes, deleted scenes, and commentary included in the 1999 DVD release, the new Blu-ray disc will feature a documentary on the restoration of the Ecto-1, the ghostbusters' classic car, and a collectible 32-page scrapbook.
Also new will be a feature called "Slimer mode," a picture-in-picture viewing experience that will include a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, new interviews with the cast and crew, and a look at the creatures in the Ghostbusters mythology.
Collectible Ghostbusters Toys From Mattel
Also in the offing will be a new line of toys from Mattel, Inc.
To celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, 12-inch collectible figures of the four ghostbusters will be up for sale in June 2009 at MattyCollector.com.
Each figure will boast accurate likenesses of the actors who portrayed the characters, as well as detailed replicas of the costumes and ghostbusting equipment.
A line of creature figures, including Slimer, will also be available for purchase.
Ghostbusters 3 Announcement Looming?
Rumors of a third Ghostbusters film have been floating around seemingly forever, like an unwanted pesky poltergeist.
Actor/writer Dan Aykroyd almost got a third movie off the ground in the late '90s, but the project never did happen and rumblings about a third film have been relatively quiet since then.
That is until September 2008, when Ghostbusters co-writer Harold Ramis confirmed Columbia Pictures had asked The Office writers Gene Stupnisky and Lee Eisenberg to pen a script for a potential Ghostbusters 3.
According to an e-mail he sent to the Los Angeles Times, Ramis says much of the original cast, including Bill Murray, are eager to be involved in a new movie.
The concept of Ghostbusters 3, he continues, would revolve around the old ghostbusting team appearing in the film in a mentor capacity and handing over the reins to a new, younger ghostbusting group.
All signs indicate the two Office writers are still in the stages of finishing the script and no official announcements have been made about the production of the film.
But fans are hoping Ghostbusters' 25th anniversary serves as the perfect opportunity for Columbia Pictures to make Ghostbusters 3 official.
