Despite being one of the most iconic scenes in the movie, the Ghostbusters 2 ending came to a sudden halt without explanation, as the original conclusion became cut in production. Ghostbusters 2 is a story left unresolved but not unexplained, with context and recent discoveries to explore what happened after the battle with Vigo the Carpathian. Ghostbusters was always a genre-defining series that often struggled through several scrapped ideas that could’ve made for some very different films.
In the final cut, the Ghostbusters 2 ending sees the heroes victorious over Vigo the Carpathian after animating the Statue of Liberty to raise spirits and counteract the power he was channeling through New York’s congealing hostilities. However, despite being glimpsed in the credits, there was an entire epilogue on Liberty Island that was meant to happen. The late Ghostbusters movie director Ivan Reitman lamented that the original ending didn’t do well with test audiences and “died a horrible death.”
The lost Ghostbusters 2 ending only recently received more context via unreleased panels of an adaptation of the film starring The Real Ghostbusters (via Instagram). It’s an odd collection of scenes meant to resolve the ruination of the Ghostbusters mentioned earlier in the movie and end the story with a confusing message of patriotism. Regardless, it’s an insight into the creative process and reinforces that sometimes the best endings are those left open.
What Happened to The Statue of Liberty?
The film opens with Ray, Winston, and Peter mentioning how the Ghostbusters franchise went bankrupt in the wake of the Stay Puft incident at the end of the first film. Peter blames the downfall of the ghostbusting business because the mayor “stiffed us on the bill.” As a rise from the ashes story, the original Ghostbusters 2 movie had its heroes thanked with a key to the city and all the collateral damage paid for by the mayor. In this ending, Peter and Ray threatened to leave “Libby” in the middle of NYC, joking about how much easier it was to get to than Liberty Island. However, caving in, the mayor offers to write a check, only to have Egon remind them their services are cash only. It was comical, albeit an unneeded scene meant to bring the story of Ghostbusters full circle.
The lost ending also saw closure for “Libby,” who returned to her rightful place overlooking the New York skyline. At a ceremony featuring Dana, Egon, Peter, Ray, and Winston, they talked about the Statue of Liberty as a symbol and what it meant to their ancestors. While some dialogue from the original Ghostbusters was inspiring, in Winston and Peter’s cases, they were blunt about their family history. Winston talked about how his ancestors arrived in America onboard slave ships and Peter’s comments about how his family “slept around.” Regardless, it ends with them accepting the good with the bad and that the Ghostbusters are living in a free country, especially after stopping the Carpathian tyrant Vigo. Ghostbusters 2 could have ended with a mixed patriotic message that was unnecessary. The Statue of Liberty served its purpose as being a marvel of special effects, enjoyably nonsensical and uplifting. Additionally, the single glimpse of Ghostbusters 2’s ending ceremony in the credits said it all, the Ghostbusters saved the day, and the city was thankful.
The Ghostbusters 2 ending may have been sudden and dripping with slime, but it’s all the film needed. Sometimes it’s best to leave the pre-apocalyptic New Year’s Eve party early rather than be asked to leave. Cut scenes are a fascinating insight into the creative process, but as was the case with the first Ghostbusters sequel, it became a better movie for it.