Ghostbusters II (1989): trivia & fun facts

Fun facts

• Michael Chapman replaced László Kovács as cinematographer, and Bo Welch replaced John DeCuir as production designer.
• Ghostbusters II was originally scheduled for release in July 1989 but less than three months before release, it was brought forward to June to avoid direct competition with Batman.
• According to Reitman, the delay occurred because the main actors did not want to make a sequel for nearly three years; by the time they decided to go ahead, Murray was committed to his starring role in the Christmas comedy film Scrooged (1988).
• When Vigo interacts from the painting in the finished film, the image is replaced by Von Homburg's disembodied head floating over a miniature river-of-slime set built from foam by ILM.
• Filming had nearly concluded at that time, but Reitman wrote Brown a cameo as the mayor's doorman.
• With a budget of $30–40 million, filming took place between November 1988 and March 1989 in New York City and Los Angeles.
• Reitman began working on Ghostbusters II almost immediately after directing the 1988 comedy film Twins.
• Outside North America, Ghostbusters II is estimated to have earned approximately $102.9 million, nearly doubling the original's overseas takings and raising its worldwide total to $215.4 million.
• The Washington Square monster was animated in stop motion by Phil Tippett, who accepted the job on the condition that the effect was no longer than 160 frames, was built on an existing model, and could be done in one take.
• The slime blower weapons were three times heavier than the proton packs; the tanks did not contain slime, which was pumped through the guns from off-camera.
• This weekend gross saw Ghostbusters II contribute to the highest-grossing weekend ever at the time, with total box office takings of $92 million across all theaters.
• The team was originally hired to provide 110 effects shots but this grew to 180.
• Based on its gross and an average increase in ticket price of 22% since Ghostbusters' release, an estimated 2 million more people went to see the film's opening.
• Financially, Ghostbusters II was a relative success but it failed to meet studio expectations as a sequel to the highest-grossing comedy film of its time.
• New scenes were written and filmed during re-shoots between March and April 1989, only two months before its release.

Source: Wikipedia

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