Ghostbusters is a comedy film franchise created in 1984. The two films center around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghosts for a living. The first film was simply titled Ghostbusters, and was released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures. The film became a pop culture phenomenon, leading to a sequel, three animated television shows, a novel, a comic series, various video games, a large number of action figures, a theme park attraction, and other merchandise.

The concept of the first film was inspired by Dan Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal, and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live alum John Belushi. Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology in the American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghostchasers. Aykroyd thought, "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually.

The original story as written by Aykroyd was much more ambitious -- and unfocused -- than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghosts (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore S.W.A.T.-like outfits and used wands instead of Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboards show them wearing riotsquad-type helmets with movable transparent visors. The original draft of the script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman

Ghostbusters III is a proposed project. During his interview with Mike McGuire on CISN Country 103.9 FM in Edmonton, Alberta, Dan Aykroyd announced that Ghostbusters III: Hellbent will be CGI. "I can do all the things I wanted to do for much, much less money," he stated. Aykroyd wrote the script, which was described by IGN as being "too technical", with a new team of Ghostbusters that were not clearly delineated and had no group conflict or leading personalities. Bill Murray has been thought to have held up the making of a third Ghostbusters movie, despite Aykroyd's enthusiasm, due to his preference that the movie be animated and his dislike of sequels. However, he has now signed on to make the movie now that it will be CGI. Harold Ramis is already attached. Sigourney Weaver has not expressed enthusiasm at doing another sequel. ] Harold Ramis mentioned in 2005 that he wanted Ben Stiller to take Bill Murray's part in the then titled Ghostbusters in Hell. The plot was to follow the three Ghostbusters attempting to find a replacement for Bill Murray's character while dealing with ghosts rejected from hell. Aykroyd later elaborated, now that Murray is on board, that in the movie "We go to the hell side of Manhattan, downtown, Foley Square. It's all where the cops are--they are all blue minotaurs. Central Park is this huge peat mine with green demons there, surrounded by black onyx thousand-foot high apartment buildings with classic red devils, very wealthy. We go and visit a Donald Trump-like character who is Mr. Sifler. Luke Sifler. Lu-cifer. So we meet the devil in it". ] Jason Reitman, the son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, has stated that he has little interest in directing the movie. . He was a guest on The Howard Stern Show on April 10, 2008; when he was asked if he would direct Ghostbusters 3 and cast Howard, he said "do you know how many times I get asked if I want to do Ghostbusters 3? Looking at my career so far, I mean if you just looked at my two films, I would make the most boring Ghostbusters movie. It would just be people talking about ghosts, there wouldn't be any ghost-busting in it." Recently, Ernie Hudson told Moviehole.net, that Ghostbusters III is still very much a possibility. He said he hoped that the new video game would generate renewed interest in a 3rd Ghostbusters film. The February 2008 copy of Total Film magazine has stated that the game will use the plot devices of the third film, quoting Aykroyd as saying, "This is essentially the third movie". All old cast members have been signed on to the video game aside from Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver.

In an interview with Gameinformer, Aykroyd stated that the up coming Ghostbusters video game would be "as closest to a third movie that you can get."

Cultural impact

The video game Doom retooled to look like Ghostbusters was a popular game modificationGhostbusters has had many instances of popularity and parody in popular culture since the first movie's release.

The building that was Dana Barrett's apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as the Ghostbusters Building.

A group of credit unions have used the Ghostbusters symbol on their ATMs to promote their surcharge-free banking privileges.

An anti-anthrax gel was created under the name of "Project ectoplasm" after the paranormal slime substance from the franchise.

References have been made to Ghostbusters in many other films, such as Superbad, in which a character has a Real Ghostbusters lunchbox.

The movie Be Kind Rewind includes an extensive sequence in which Jack Black, Mos Def and others recreate the first Ghostbusters movie.[46] Using props and costumes made by themselves, including Christmas tree tinsel as the streams from their proton packs, and a version of the theme sang by Jack Black.

In the movie Casper, Dan Aykroyd reprises his role of Ray Stantz in a brief cameo. Upon exiting the Harvey's haunted mansion, he says "Who you gonna call? Somebody else!", an obvious reference to the film's catchphrase.

In the TV show Family Guy, Peter says "I remember my first summer job." This is followed by a short sequence where a younger version of Peter in a Ghostbuster jumpsuit drives up to a house in the Ectomobile and rushes inside, interrupting the pottery scene from the movie Ghost by capturing the ghost of Sam, and telling Molly "That'll be $27.50."

Another instance is in the episode where Peter loses his driver's license. Trying to pass the time, Peter hides in the refrigerator. When Lois opens the fridge door, Peter says, "There is no Peter, only Zuul."