One month ago, the world became a little darker with the loss of one of its most enduring comedic lights with the death of writer, actor and director Harold Ramis. Generations of fans mourned in unison, sparking renewed celebration of his life and art. None was more touched than his longtime collaborator and fellow “Ghostbusters” star, Dan Aykroyd, who said a part of him died with Ramis.
That part could very well have been Aykroyd’s longtime passion project “Ghostbusters 3,” a film he has championed in relative solitude for years. “We had just cracked the story when Harold passed. There’s no way to do ‘Ghostbusters’ without him. It’s his baby,” Aykroyd said. “It was a shame that the final postscript on Harold’s life would be the death of ‘Ghostbusters 3’. Or so we thought.”
Aykroyd remembers the surprise he felt when, less than a week after Ramis’ death, a strange woman appeared on his front doorstep. Her name was Barista Fernando Rodriguez Underwood The Great; a local psychic medium, tarot card reader and amateur oral hygienist who claimed to be able to communicate with the deceased Ramis, an opportunity Aykroyd couldn’t imagine passing up.
“At first I was skeptical, to be sure,” Aykroyd said. “But after she began explaining herself, it was abundantly clear she was legitimate.”
An immediate séance was in order, featuring a used Twinkie wrapper and a Glade candle. Underwood channeled Ramis from the netherworld and the two friends caught up.
Aykroyd and Ghost-Ramis talked for hours, just chit chat. Aykroyd asked what the afterlife was like and Ghost-Ramis asked for summaries of a month’s worth of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”.
“He always had the biggest crush on Kris Jenner.” Aykroyd said.
Before too long, talk turned to more important matters.
“He’s the one who brought up ‘Ghostbusters 3,’ not me,” Aykroyd said. “He said that as a storyteller he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell this one last story. I mean a Ghostbuster who’s a ghost, played by an actual ghost! So we broke out the notebooks. A dozen strawberry margaritas later, we’d struck gold!”
Aykroyd is planning to meet with Columbia Pictures later this week to pitch the story, with Underwood on hand to speak for Ghost-Ramis, of course. The former Saturday Night Live star feels the story is a homerun.
“This script is the greatest piece of literature I’ve read since ‘Blues Brothers 2000.’” Aykroyd said.
When pushed for potential story spoilers, Aykroyd was quick to highlight the central premise.
“It’s Egon and Slimer on a road trip going across the country,” he said. “Think ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ with ghosts!”
Aykroyd also hopes this film begins a trend toward allowing actors who have previously loosed the mortal coil to return to film acting.
“Harold said he’s already talked to Belushi for a cameo and he’s meeting with Chris Farley next week,” Aykroyd said.
Unfortunately, Ghost-Ramis was unable to comment as he is apparently only able to speak through Underwood and she was previously engaged with a birthday party where she performed with her partner Cokey the Clown and his Curious Collection of Canadian Crocodiles.
When asked what the decidedly deceased Ramis said regarding the afterlife, Aykroyd just laughed.
“You know I only asked him one thing. ‘What did you say when you got to heaven?’ And I swear he looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Just one piece of advice my friend. If someone asks you if you’re a god, you say yes.’” Aykroyd said.
“This script is the greatest peice of literature I’ve read since ‘Blues Brothers 2000’!”