# Recast the Movie: "Ghostbusters" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715 "2006-06-30T02:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/1 "2006-06-30T02:41:51Z")
Few have not seen this seminal 1984 sci-fi comedy starring Murray, Ackroyd and Ramis as three loser parapsychology profs who set up a business catching ghosts and get in a whole heap of trouble. But were we to remake “Ghostbusters,” the original cast’s a bit long in the tooth for action roles. Who would you cast in the remake? You must cast actors to fill, at a minimum, these eight roles (with the actor who played in the original) Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Ackroyd) Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper (Sigourney Weaver) Louis Tulley/The Keymaster (Rick Moranis) Walter Peck (William Atherton) Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/2 "2006-06-30T03:01:17Z")
Dr. Peter Venkman (Vince Vaughn) Dr. Ray Stantz (Steve Carrel) Dr. Egon Spengler (Rainn Wilson?.. umm… Dwight on the Office) Winston Zeddmore (Dave Chapelle) Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper (Courtney Cox) Louis Tulley/The Keymaster (John Heder) Walter Peck (Anthony Michael Hall) Janine Melnitz (Chloe from “24”) ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/3 "2006-06-30T03:41:38Z")
Hi, I’m Rickjay’s sister. I’m joining the forum specifically to answer this question, because it’s one I’ve contemplated several times before. My fiance and I came up with the following cast: Dr. Peter Venkman: Vince Vaughan (good call, PYD) Dr. Ray Stantz: Andy Richter Dr. Egon Spengler: Ben Stiller Winston Zeddmore: Cuba Gooding, Jr. Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper: Courtney Cox (Again, good call PYD) Louis Tulley/The Keymaster: Jon Heder (You’re on a roll, PYD) Walter Peck: Matthew Glave (Glenn Goulia from “The Wedding Singer”) Janine Melnitz: Jeanine Garofalo Excellent game, Rickjay! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/4 "2006-06-30T07:46:27Z")
You cannot recast \*Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters\* is perfect in every way. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/5 "2006-06-30T07:52:06Z")
Well, I am pretty awesome. When I was a younger man, in the mid 90s I really wanted to see a remake that starred: Mike Meyers (Venkmen) Dana Carvey (Egon) Chris Farley (Ray) Chris Rock (Winston) David Spade (Louis Tulley) Julia Sweeney (Janine) I’d still like to see a GB3 that used the original premise that Belushi and Ackroyd came up with- Ghosts are so prevalent as to be just nuisances and that busters are like exterminators -pretty routine. Then a big threat comes along. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/6 "2006-06-30T08:02:06Z")
[QUOTE=Push You Down] Dr. Peter Venkman (Vince Vaughn) Dr. Ray Stantz (Steve Carrel) Dr. Egon Spengler (Rainn Wilson?.. umm… Dwight on the Office) Winston Zeddmore (Dave Chapelle) Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper (Courtney Cox) Louis Tulley/The Keymaster (John Heder) Walter Peck (Anthony Michael Hall) Janine Melnitz (Chloe from “24”) [/QUOTE] Nothing to add other than: I would never have thought to recast this film, **but** seeing the alternate cast you came up with I think it would be worth it in every way. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/7 "2006-06-30T12:16:38Z")
. . .and Jon Favreau as the Marshmallow Man. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/8 "2006-06-30T12:29:33Z")
**You never said they all had to be living actors** Dr. Peter Venkman —Groucho Marx Dr. Ray Stantz—Chico Marx Dr. Egon Spengler—Vincent Price (A fine humorist in the Spooky Mode) Winston Zeddmore—Harpo Marx Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper —Lauren Bacall Louis Tulley/The Keymaster --Peter Lorre Walter Peck ----Claude Rains Janine Melnitz— Silent Film Commediene Colleen Moore. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/9 "2006-06-30T12:39:42Z")
Since I made the thread: Peter Venkman - Ryan Reynolds Ray Stantz - Jack Black Egon Spengler - Adrien Brody Winston Zeddmore - Will Smith (Price is no object for my supporting cast) Dana Barrett - Angelina Jolie (See above) Lous Tully - Seth Green (Note: If you don’t think a Seth Green/Angelian Jolie kiss wouldn’t be the funniest thing in film history, you don’t know comedy.) Walter Peck - Neil Patrick Harris Janine Melnitz - Mila Kunis ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/10 "2006-06-30T12:55:44Z")
\*Slight Side note, this has kind of been done by Ivan Reitman already. \* Dr. Peter Venkman –\> David Duchovny … Dr. Ira Kane Dr. Ray Stantz –\> Seann William Scott … Wayne Grey (not quite) Dr. Egon Spengler –\> Orlando Jones … Prof. Harry Phineas Block Winston Zeddmore –\> missing character Dana Barrett/The Gatekeeper –\> Julianne Moore … Dr. Allison Reed, CDC Louis Tulley/The Keymaster –\> Ethan Suplee … Deke Walter Peck –\> Ted Levine … General Russell Woodman Janine Melnitz –\> missing character The Mayor –\> Dan Aykroyd … Governor Lewis (bonus replacement) Jim {[the above is from this movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251075/)) ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-the-movie-ghostbusters/362715/11 "2006-07-01T12:54:31Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Since I made the thread: Peter Venkman - Ryan Reynolds Ray Stantz - Jack Black Egon Spengler - Adrien Brody Winston Zeddmore - Will Smith (Price is no object for my supporting cast) Dana Barrett - Angelina Jolie (See above) Lous Tully - Seth Green (Note: If you don’t think a Seth Green/Angelian Jolie kiss wouldn’t be the funniest thing in film history, you don’t know comedy.) Walter Peck - Neil Patrick Harris Janine Melnitz - Mila Kunis [/QUOTE] Not a bad list. But I would invert the parts for Jack Black and Ryan Reynolds