Bill Murray, known for his elusive nature in Hollywood, revealed that he was misled into agreeing to star in Ghostbusters II. Despite the massive success of the original film, which became the highest-grossing comedy at the time, Murray was initially hesitant to return for the sequel. His decision to join the cast was influenced by a story pitch that he believed was genuine, but later found out was not the script actually used during filming. This incident adds another chapter to Murray’s history of being tricked into projects, including his well-known mix-up over voicing the title character in 2004’s Garfield movie.
Murray’s Reluctance and the Challenge of Signing Him
Columbia Pictures was eager to capitalize on the original Ghostbusters’ success by quickly producing a sequel. However, convincing Bill Murray to participate proved difficult. Known for disappearing when uninterested, Murray remained elusive to studios and production teams. He avoided returning unless convinced of the quality of both the script and the personal reasons behind the project, rather than just financial gain.
“I thought that the only reason anyone would want another one was just to make money,”
Murray admitted, highlighting his reluctance. Ultimately, it was a compelling story idea pitched to him that made Murray reconsider and join the ensemble again.
The Deceptive Script That Led to Filming
Though initially convinced by a “great” story idea and excited to reunite with his former co-stars—some of whom hadn’t been together since the first film’s release—Murray soon realized the actual script used for filming was very different from what had been promised.
“They got us in the sequel under false pretences,”
he said, recounting his surprise upon arriving on set. He described confusion over the project, saying,
“Harold had this great idea, but by the time we got to shooting it, I showed up on set and went, ‘What the hell is this? What is this thing? But we were already shooting it, so we had to figure out how to make it work.’”
Impact and Reception of Ghostbusters II
The disconnect between the initial pitch and the final product contributed to Ghostbusters II’s disappointing reception. The sequel did not match the original’s box office success, earning significantly less money and receiving poor responses from both critics and fans. Despite his frustration over the misleading script, Murray was compensated generously for his participation. This episode reflects the tensions involved in creating sequels, especially when star talent is reluctant or skeptical about the project’s intentions and execution.
