The Poster Memorabilia blog

Hanging Out with the OG Ghostbusters

Three OG Ghostbusters on one carpet, a fourth honored in song — and a poster that finally caught them all.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

What do you think about the current rise of sequels and remakes? I understand many cinephiles hate what's going on, especially since a lot of them are unnecessary and don't quite live up to the original films. I share this sentiment; however, there is a benefit: we get to see the original casts again.

I realized this when Ghostbusters: Afterlife brought together some of the OG Ghostbusters like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson for the new film. Even Annie Potts returned to the franchise, too. It had been a long time since these three were together again, so it was great seeing them in the movie and on the red carpet.

I actually got to see them and get their autographs at the movie's New York City premiere in 2021. And I've gotta say, they looked good! Considering that the original movie came out in 1984, they hardly looked any different.

Ernie Hudson looked the best out of the three. Becoming somewhat of a fitness junkie did wonders for him over the years. He barely looked a day over 35, and seemed as fit as a fiddle. In fact, Aykroyd and Murray's ages really showed when they stood beside him.

Another great thing about these showbiz veterans is that they know the game front and back. They interacted with fans in a way that only movie stars with decades of experience could. As I watched them pose for the cameras, meet with fans, and sign autographs, I didn't feel a hint of inauthenticity.

“Murray was funny, Aykroyd was charming, and Hudson was inspiring.”

They were just themselves. Murray was funny, Aykroyd was charming, and Hudson was inspiring. Their public personas really shined that night, so much that I forgot that the movie starred Paul Rudd and McKenna Grace instead. Talk about stealing the scene! All I could focus on was the original cast.

The sweetest moment of the night was when the three of them paid tribute to the late Harold Ramis right there on the carpet, singing Happy Birthday in his honor ahead of what would have been his birthday. It reminded all of us fans that the original foursome will always be a foursome.

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That night would've been a whole lot better had Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts appeared, too. Both were in the film, but for some reason or another, they were M.I.A. at the premiere.

I could take Potts not being there since I already met her at the 2016 Ghostbusters movie premiere. She's actually the first original cast member to have signed my poster. But Sigourney Weaver? Her absence bummed me out. Apart from the original foursome, she was who I was most excited to see.

I wasn't down for long, though. A year later, Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in LA, and guess who was there to help promote it? That's right, Sigourney Weaver! I finally got her autograph on the same poster that night. She was really nice about signing two posters for me, too, one for Ghostbusters and another for Avatar.

For those wondering, yes, I also got Rick Moranis's autograph on this poster, sometime between meeting Annie Potts in 2016 and the Afterlife premiere in 2021. A mutual friend who knows how much this movie means to me kindly passed my poster along to him, and it came back signed. I'll leave the rest of the details out of respect for his famously private life, but I'll say this much: the man is every bit as kind as people say.

If Hollywood decides to churn out more sequels and remakes, then I’d at least want to see the original casts of these masterpieces during their premieres and press tours. It’s the silver lining to this dark cloud currently looming over the industry.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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