Remember Dan Akroyd’s surprise Ghostbusters cameo appearance in 1995’s Casper the Friendly Ghost live-action movie? Well, it’s official canon according to the star.
On the Talking Strange podcast, Aykroyd explained that Steven Spielberg personally asked for him to show up as Ray Stantz. His words: “I think so, given the fact that Spielberg asked for me and said, ‘Come and do this,’ and that they built me in there. Of course, it’s a beautiful nod to what we were doing with Ivan [Reitman] and everybody. I think you gotta include there in the canon, no doubt.”
I mean, when Steven Spielberg asks you to grab your Ghostbusters jumpsuit, you should probably do it, right?
In the movie, Casper opens with Whipstaff Manor being terrorized by Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso. Casper, the goodest ghost boy, is basically bullied into being their live-in chef while they torment every living soul who steps inside. Enter Carrigan and Dibs, a rich villain and her henchman who’d like their haunted mansion to stop being haunted.
So who do they call? In the ’90s, there was only one correct answer, and it was definitely not Whoopi Goldberg. They call Ghostbusters. In this case, Ray Stantz. He shows up in full gear, ready to do the job. Except, instead of busting ghosts, he comes sprinting right back out the front door. He jumps into his car and yells that someone else will have to deal with those ghosts. Scene over.
It was quick and weird. But fun.
For almost three decades, fans wondered whether that Casper cameo counted in the same universe as the Ghostbusters films. Aykroyd’s now set the record straight. Ray Stantz definitely knows Casper the Friendly Ghost. And the character exists in the world of the Ghostbusters.
The Ghostbusters franchise has had waves of popularity thanks to the original team of Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson. New sequels, reunions, callbacks, and cameos have kept the characters relevant across generations. Aykroyd has returned multiple times as Ray Stantz through the decades, so the idea of more surprises isn’t out of the question.
If Hollywood ever decides Casper deserves another big-screen live-action return, why not continue the Ghostbusters crossover?
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