Ghostbusters script came to life in Jaws filming location

Martha's Vineyard has long been the home of Jaws, since it doubled as Amity Island in 1974.

Ten years later a film would be released, which at the time would become the highest grossing comedy of all time, that film was Ghostbusters.

Sadly, its director, Ivan Reitman, passed away earlier this week, he would return for Ghostbusters 2 in 1989 and executive produce Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was helmed by his son Jason Reitman.

Just a year before the original films' release its writers Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis - along with director Ivan Reitman - hammered out the Ghostbusters script in Martha's Vineyard.

Aykroyd had a home there, and they worked day and night in his basement for about two weeks.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Reitman had fond memories of his time on the Vineyard. He called it "Two of the greatest weeks of my life, we worked seven days a week...had wonderful meals with our families and then went back to work at night.”

The head of Columbia Pictures had earmarked Ghostbusters for a major summer 1984 release—giving Reitman and the Ghostbusters team just 12 months to write, film, and edit the special effects ghost comedy ectoplasm drenched extravaganza.

And they did it, with great aplomb. In fact, in terms of horror box office, Ghostbusters still sits in the number three position, with The Exorcist at number two, and Jaws swimming to the top of the Forbes list as the number one horror box office King.

You can see the full list here:

Aykroyd had several years earlier starred in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979), which not only featured several Jaws stars, including Murray Hamilton (Mayor Vaughn) and Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody).

It would also see Susan Backlinie reprise the famous opening scene in Jaws, this time with her being attacked by a Japanese submarine!

And in the same year that Ghostbusters was released, Aykroyd would have a cameo appearance in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, again directed by Spielberg.

With Ghostbusters being the most successful film that year at the US box office, and Temple of Doom having a fair crack of the bull whip, coming in at number two.

Clearly box office bustin makes Dan Aykroyd feel good.

Words by Dean Newman

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