Do you think it would have worked as well as it did with what we have? If John Belushi had lived to do the picture (which probably would have meant no Harold Ramis as Spengler, perhaps even no Spengler) with Aykroyd? If John Candy had taken Louis's role? If Eddie Murphy had been cast as Zeddemore? What do you think?
Posted by jlp937 (Member # 1877) on :
It is so hard to make a determination about different casting of a film when you have seen it one way over and over again. To me it wouldn't be the same picture. Everything is classic in this film just the way that it is.
Now you and I both know that eventually someone is going to remake many of our beloved 80s films. Just as many of era films have been remade. Each one is unique and has its own quality.
I see Spengler as tall and skinny, so not John Belushi. Now maybe if he was cast as the Stay Puft Marshmellow man, Hahahahaha!!!!!! It would have been interesting to see John Candy in Rick Moranis's role, kind of like his character in Vacation as the nerdy security guard. Eddie Murphy I think would have been miscast, he wasn't doing any films where he wasn't the lead. It would have seemed odd to me to see him in a supporting role in that stage of his career.
Were there any other casting possibilities for this film that anyone knows of?
Posted by Chris Fulmer (Member # 3197) on :
They expressed interest in Paul Rubens to play Gozer back when the otherworldly fiend was conceived of as coming in the form of building architect Ivo Shandor. After they decided to make Gozer more errogenous, they thought of getting Grace Jones to play her/him/it/whatever, but by that point it was too late to go after any big names, so they got the Slovakian model whose name I can't remember right now.
On Dinner and a Movie's presentation of the film last year (while serving, "I Ain't Afraid of no Roast"), it was mentioned that Eddie Murphy nowadays considers passing up Zeddemore the biggest error of his career (although with some of hte films he's done lately, I wouldn't exactly hold him to that).
There seems to be conflicting reports on the DVD as to Candy's nonshowing. In Ivan Reitman and Ramis's viedo commentary, they say they actually landed him, but he didn't really understand Louis's character, so they let him go and got Moranis. The production note commentary, however, which come from the original notes published in the mid 80s, says he was completely unavailable to begin with. A couple of months ago I posed the same question on Louis on the MSN Candy group I also belong to, and their response was pretty much how I think of it: Moranis was the perfect choice for the role, but they wouldn't have minded seeing Candy in it as an additional 'Buster. (and I must admit, the thought of him vs. Mr. Staypuft is intriguing to think about).
Posted by Chris Fulmer (Member # 3197) on :
Also, they considered Sandra Bernhardt for Janine at one point.
Trade papers hinted that after Belushi died, they were thinking of Richard Pryor as Venkman. That wouldn't have worked at all had it gone through.
Posted by piratemoviefan12 (Member # 2715) on :
Probably better with EDDIE as Winston, and give him a larger role.
Candy was too big to fit down the pole in the firehouse, and balushi was dead at the time so couldn't really happen anyway.
When GB became huge EDDIE said he wanted to jump off a building for turning it down...
It's funny how his buddy ****nio got to voice Winston on the Real GB's toon...
