Ghostbusters (1984) Film Story: Cast, Sequels and Night Shift

Who you gonna call? More than 40 years after it opened, Ghostbusters is still going strong. In June 2026 Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation revealed Ghostbusters: Night Shift, an animated series set in 1994 and due in 2027, with Dan Aykroyd among the executive producers.

Here is the story of the 1984 original, its cast and the films that followed, with a fact file, FAQs and our tribute designs in the Ghostbusters collection.

Ghostbusters Fact File

Release	8 June 1984 (US)
Director	Ivan Reitman
Writers	Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
Studio	Columbia Pictures
Main cast	Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson
Running time	105 minutes
Setting	New York City
Filmed	New York City and Los Angeles
Box office	About $370 million worldwide (all releases)
Theme song	Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

Key Films

Year	Title	Director
1984	Ghostbusters	Ivan Reitman
1989	Ghostbusters II	Ivan Reitman
2016	Ghostbusters	Paul Feig
2021	Ghostbusters: Afterlife	Jason Reitman
2024	Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire	Gil Kenan

The five live-action films. The franchise also includes the animated series The Real Ghostbusters (1986) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997).

How It Began

Dan Aykroyd first came up with the idea of a team of paranormal exterminators, originally imagining it for himself and John Belushi. Harold Ramis helped rework the script and set it in present-day New York, and Ivan Reitman came on board to direct for Columbia Pictures.

Suit up with our Ghostbusters Movie Icon Frame Men's Hoodie.

The Cast

Bill Murray played the wisecracking Peter Venkman, with Aykroyd as Ray Stantz and Ramis as Egon Spengler. Ernie Hudson joined as Winston Zeddemore, Sigourney Weaver played Dana Barrett, Rick Moranis was her neighbour Louis Tully and Annie Potts was receptionist Janine Melnitz. The mix of improvised comedy and big special effects was something new for the time.

Or go bold with the Ghostbusters Men's T-Shirt.

A Summer Smash

Ghostbusters opened on 8 June 1984 and spent seven weeks at No.1 at the US box office. Ray Parker Jr.'s theme song also went to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a BAFTA. The film earned two Oscar nominations, for Visual Effects and Original Song, and was added to the US National Film Registry in 2015.

For a lighter look, try the Ghostbusters Movie Icon Frame Men's T-Shirt.

Sequels and What Comes Next

Ghostbusters II followed in 1989, and Paul Feig's reboot arrived in 2016. Jason Reitman, Ivan's son, then brought the story back to the original timeline with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, followed by Frozen Empire in 2024. Next up is the Netflix animated series Ghostbusters: Night Shift, set five years after Ghostbusters II.

Awards and Recognition

Awards

BAFTA, Best Original Song for Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr.)
Saturn Award, Best Fantasy Film
Two Oscar nominations: Visual Effects and Original Song

Recognition

US National Film Registry (2015)
Theme song reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Behind the Scenes

The firehouse exterior is Hook & Ladder Company 8 in Tribeca, which still draws fans today, while interiors were shot at a Los Angeles fire station. Dana's apartment building is 55 Central Park West, and the opening library scenes used the New York Public Library's main branch.

FAQs

When did Ghostbusters come out?

The original film was released in the US on 8 June 1984.

Who wrote Ghostbusters?

Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred as Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler.

Where was Ghostbusters filmed?

In New York City, at locations including the New York Public Library and the Tribeca firehouse, and in Los Angeles, including studio sets in Burbank.

How many Ghostbusters films are there?

Five live-action films: Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Ghostbusters (2016), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).