John Belushi's Death Meant He Couldn't Be A Ghostbuster, But They Still Worked A Tribute To Him Into The Movie (2025)

When it was released in 1984, Ghostbusters was a smash hit. It was the comedy of the summer, and I still remember the first conversation I had with my next-door neighbor about it and how awesome he thought it was, as I was on my way out the door with my mom to see it for the first time. Kids and adults everywhere were flocking to see the Ivan Reitman-directed movie, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription, and stars Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray, as the titular team ridding New York City of ghosts.

The group of ghost catchers was originally supposed to be different. The role that Murray played, Peter Venkman, was first written with John Belushi in mind. Sadly, Belushi’s death in 1982 meant that he couldn’t be a member of the team. They still found a way to pay tribute to their fallen friend, and they did in the best way possible.

The Ghost “Slimer” Was Meant To Be An Homage To Belushi

In the movie, the second ghost that the Ghostbusters encounter (the first is “The Grey Lady”) is a sloppy, green floating head that Venkman meets in the hallway of a hotel. The head is gobbling food off of a room service tray like a maniac, his appetite insatiable. Belushi was known for his own unquenchable desires for everything, including food, comedy, music, and tragically, drugs, which is what killed him.

That’s before pointing out the obvious, that the late-SNL superstar was represented by a ghost. Dan Aykroyd had intended Ghostbusters to be a follow-up to 1980’s The Blues Brothers and 1981’s Neighbors, both of which he starred in with Belushi, so there was no way Aykroyd wasn’t going to pay respect to his partner in crime.

The Wild Story About How It All Happened

Make-up artist and creature creator Steve Johnson was responsible for creating the floating blob that would eventually be named “Slimer,” and he told the special effects website Bloody Disgusting that Harold Ramis and Aykroyd sent a note at the last minute and told him they wanted the ghost to evoke Belushi. Johnson said,

Using some colorful language, Johnson expressed his frustration at the last-minute note, but no matter, he set forth to do what he had been tasked with. After what sounds like an intense night of design fueled by some chemical help, he came up with the final product. He even adds that the extra-curricular activities made him see the ghost of Belushi himself. It sounds intense, but when the movie was released, Slimer was a hit.

John Belushi Is Gone, But He Lives On Forever

While Ghostbusters was supposed to be another triumph for Belushi and Aykroyd, no one can argue that Bill Murray stepping into the role wasn’t a huge win for the movie. The performance is one of the funniest of Murray’s career, and it’s really hard to imagine the role being played by anyone else. Still, it’s wonderful that everyone involved made sure to include their good friend in the most over-the-top and ridiculous way, just as John Belushi would have wanted it. Slimer has gone on to become an important part of the Ghostbusters franchise, so in a way, Belushi has lived on in our hearts for years.

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