How The Ghostbusters Franchise Paid Respect To Star Harold Ramis On Anniversary Of His Death

Egon using a twinkie as a metaphor for paranormal activity

Actor Harold Ramis passed away on February 24, 2014 at the age of 69. The actor, comedian, writer, director and producer left his stamp on more than one Hollywood classic, but he’s probably best known as one of the stars and co-writers of Ivan Reitman’s 1984 film Ghostbusters. So on the anniversary of Harold Ramis’ death, and with a new Ghostbusters movie on the way, the franchise paid its respects to the man behind Dr. Egon Spengler. Take a look:

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What a lovely sentiment from the Ghostbusters franchise. As you can see, the official Ghostbusters Twitter account was responding to a Harold Ramis tribute from artist NinjaInk. On the anniversary of his death, the tribute thanked Harold Ramis for all he did and the impact he had on pop culture and the childhoods of countless people. The tribute included a picture of Egon’s Proton Pack, set down as the former Ghostbuster parts this life, hand in hand with Slimer.

To echo the sentiments of NinjaInk, the Ghostbusters account wished for the actor to rest in peace and affirmed that although it has been six years since Harold Ramis’ death, Ghostbusters will carry on his legacy forever. It’s a touching post, the kind that makes you smile thinking about Harold Ramis and Egon, and well up with tears remembering that he’s gone.

Fortunately, Ghostbusters is making it clear he will not be forgotten. Harold Ramis helped create this story and his influence, as well as the influence of Dr. Egon Spengler, will not be brushed aside as this franchise continues into the future. It’s a nice sign of respect that Ghostbusters remembers its past and knows where it came from.

The Ghostbusters franchise isn’t just paying lip service to the memory of Harold Ramis either. The loss of Dr. Egon Spengler, and metaphorically the loss of Harold Ramis, will also seemingly play a major role in this summer’s rebootquel of the franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. According to returning star Bill Murray, Ghostbusters: Afterlife will address the death of Harold Ramis because part of the story of the film will be about the Ghostbusters being a man down.

Judging from the trailer and what we've heard, the new film will follow Egon Spengler’s daughter and grandchildren in a small town with big secrets that tie into the former Ghostbuster’s legacy. From the glasses worn by McKenna Grace in the film to Egon’s Ghostbusters uniform, I expect Ghostbusters: Afterlife to be dripping with nods to Harold Ramis and Dr. Egon Spengler, on top of the story in which his absence will be keenly felt.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife haunts theater screens starting on July 10. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what else you can look forward to this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest movie news.

Nick Evans

Nick grew up in Maryland has degrees in Film Studies and Communications. His life goal is to walk the earth, meet people and get into adventures. He’s also still looking for The Adventures of Pete and Pete season 3 on DVD if anyone has a lead.