Casper ( film ) - Wikipedia Casper ( film ) This article is about the film. For the character, see Casper the Friendly Ghost. For the video game, see Casper ( video game ). For the medical school admissions test, see CASPer. For other uses, see Casper ( disambiguation ). Casper Theatrical release poster Directed by Brad Silberling Produced by Colin Wilson Written by Sherri Stoner Deanna Oliver Uncredited : J.J. Abrams Based on Casper the Friendly Ghost by Seymour Reit Joe Oriolo Starring Malachi Pearson Christina Ricci Bill Pullman Cathy Moriarty Eric Idle Music by James Horner Cinematography Dean Cundey Edited by Michael Kahn Production company Amblin Entertainment The Harvey Entertainment Company Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date May 26, 1995 ( 1995 - 05 - 26 ) Running time 101 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $55 million Box office $287.9 million Casper is a 1995 American live - action / computer - animated fantasy comedy film directed by Brad Silberling loosely based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo. The film stars Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle, and Amy Brenneman, and also features the voices of Malachi Pearson as the title character as well as Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey, and Brad Garrett. The film makes extensive use of computer - generated imagery to create the ghosts, and it is the first feature film to have a fully CGI character in a leading role. It tells Casper 's story in a darker interpretation in comparison to the comics, cartoons and films of the previous years, especially with its theme of death, most notably the tragic backstory of how he died. Casper was released in cinemas on May 26, 1995 by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and earned $287.9 million on a $55 million budget. It went on to spawn direct - to - video follow - up films and an animated television spin - off, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 2.1 Cameos 3 Production 4 Soundtrack 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical reception 6 Legacy 6.1 TV series 6.2 Sequels and prequel 6.3 Video games 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Plot In the town of Friendship, Maine, two young boys Nicky and Andreas enter a creepy, old mansion called Whipstaff Manor, apparently on a dare, but they are scared away by a ghost named Casper. Later, after the death of her father, neurotic and spoiled heiress Carrigan Crittenden discovers he has only left her Whipstaff Manor in his will. Carrigan and her attorney, Dibs, learn of a treasure allegedly hidden somewhere within the manor, but upon investigation they find the manor haunted by Casper and his obnoxious prankster uncles, the Ghostly Trio, who scare the two off the property. A lonely Casper watches a news report of paranormal therapist James Harvey, and is instantly smitten with his teenage daughter, Kat. This leads Casper in inspiring Carrigan to summon Dr. Harvey to Whipstaff. Harvey and Kat have an estranged relationship due to the former 's reputation and obsession with contacting the ghost of his late wife, Amelia. Moving into Whipstaff, Kat and her father quickly encounter Casper, who tries to befriend them, while his uncles try to scare them out of the house. After befriending Casper during breakfast, Kat goes to school with Casper following her. She becomes popular when her class, upon learning that she is living in Whipstaff, agree to host their Halloween party there. However, Amber, Kat 's classmate who immediately dislikes her, becomes envious of Kat stealing her spotlight, since the party was originally going to be held at her place. Amber plots with her boyfriend, Vic, to humiliate Kat during the party. Harvey meanwhile attempts to have therapy sessions with the Ghostly Trio, who reveal that they know Amelia ; in exchange for getting Carrigan to leave them alone, they promise to go through the `` red tape '' involved to get Harvey a meeting with his wife. Meanwhile, Kat learns Casper has no memory of his life and unlocks his old bedroom to remind him. Casper comes across an old wooden sled, recalling that when he was a young boy, his father bought it for him. Casper was so happy that he played outside on a very cold day until he caught a severe cold and died of pneumonia. After his death, he became a ghost to keep his father company. A newspaper article reveals that Casper 's father was declared legally insane after he built a machine named the Lazarus, which he claimed could bring the dead back to life. Casper and Kat venture down into the manor 's basement, where they discover the Lazarus. Carrigan and Dibs sneak in, steal the formula that powers the Lazarus, and plot to use the machine to their advantage, believing it could grant them immortality. However, the two attempt to kill each other in order to test the theory ; as a result, Carrigan falls off a cliff to her death, and rises as a ghost. Meanwhile, Dr. Harvey becomes dispassionate, prompting the trio to take him out for a night on the town. Unknown to Harvey, they plan on killing him to make themselves a quartet, but end up having a change of heart after a drunken Harvey states that he is going to tell Carrigan off so they can stay in their home. However, Harvey accidentally falls to his death down a manhole. Back in the secret laboratory, Carrigan confronts Casper and Kat and launches Dibs out of a window when he tries to double - cross her. Casper and Kat trick her into stating that she has no unfinished business on Earth, causing Carrigan to be involuntarily ejected into the afterlife. The alleged treasure is revealed to be Casper 's prized baseball, signed by Duke Snider. When Dr. Harvey returns with Casper 's uncles, now as a ghost, Kat is obviously distraught. Her despair prompts Casper into sacrificing his one chance to return to life once more, restoring her father instead. The Halloween party kicks off upstairs. As Amber and Vic prepare their prank, they are thwarted by the Ghostly Trio, who have kept their word. A dejected Casper is visited by the spirit of Amelia, who has become an angel in heaven instead of a ghost. As a reward for his selfless sacrifice, she temporarily transforms him into a human boy, until ten o'clock. The now flesh - and - blood Casper dances with Kat, while Amelia speaks with Harvey, revealing that she was so content with her husband and daughter while alive, that she has no unfinished business, encouraging him to move on. Amelia departs as the clock chimes ten and, after kissing Kat, Casper transforms back into a ghost, which scares off the party guests, leaving him and the Harveys to dance to the Ghostly Trio 's music. Cast Malachi Pearson as Casper McFadden, the titular main protagonist, a lonely ghost who was originally a 12 - year - old boy who died from a pneumonia attack. He spends most of his afterlife in Whipstaff dealing with his ghouling uncles ' antics while hoping to find a friend. He finds one in Kathleen `` Kat '' Harvey, while also falling in love with her. Devon Sawa as Casper McFadden ( human form ) Bill Pullman as Dr. James Harvey, Kat Harvey 's father who is a ghost therapist interacting with the ' living impaired, ' helping them to cross into the next dimension while hoping to find his deceased wife. Christina Ricci as Kathleen `` Kat '' Harvey, Dr. James Harvey 's 13 - year - old daughter and Casper 's love interest, who has lost her mother and wants to make a friend. Cathy Moriarty as Carrigan Crittenden, the main antagonist, a glamorous, treacherous, and greedy woman who was upset about her late father 's only leaving Whipstaff to her in his will, until she discovers that the house contains treasure, and hires Dr. Harvey to get the ghosts out of the house in order to get it. Joe Nipote as Stretch, the leading member of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper 's uncles who bonds with Dr. Harvey. Joe Alaskey as Stinkie, the second member of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper 's uncles who bonds with Dr. Harvey. Brad Garrett as Fatso, the third member of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper 's uncles who bonds with Dr. Harvey. Eric Idle as Paul `` Dibs '' Plutzker, Carrigan 's assistant. Garette Ratliff Henson as Vic DePhillippi, Kat 's crush and Amber 's boyfriend. Jessica Wesson as Amber Whitmire, Kat 's rival and Vic 's girlfriend. Amy Brenneman as Amelia Harvey, James ' deceased wife and Kat 's deceased mother. Ben Stein as Rugg, Carrigan 's lawyer. Wesley Thompson as Mr. Curtis, Kat 's schoolteacher. Spencer Vrooman as Andreas Chauncey Leopardi as Nicky John Kassir as the Crypt Keeper Brock Winkless performed the puppetry for the Crypt Keeper in the film Cameos Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz Clint Eastwood Rodney Dangerfield Mel Gibson Steven Spielberg ( cameo cut ) Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina Barrons ( cameo cut ) Production A computer - generated Casper as he is presented in the film Producer Steven Spielberg was planning a film adaptation of Casper the Friendly Ghost. He saw an episode of the television series Brooklyn Bridge directed by Brad Silberling and saw potential in this work, recruiting Silberling for directing Casper. J.J. Abrams did an uncredited rewrite of the script. The screenplay gave a backstory of Casper being the ghost of Casper McFadden, a boy who died of pneumonia at 12, though some of the comics, particularly in the 1960s, portrayed him as born a ghost to ghost parents. Extensive use of computer - generated imagery is used to create the ghosts, and it is the first feature film to have a fully CGI character in a leading role. In the mirror scene, Dr. Harvey was also supposed to transform into Spielberg. According to director Silberling, the cameo was filmed, but was cut for pacing reasons. Spielberg was relieved, feeling that he is not much of an actor himself and was quite nervous in front of the camera. Soundtrack The soundtrack was composed by award - winning composer James Horner, who had worked on a number of previous movies for Amblin Entertainment, including An American Tail and The Land Before Time. Casper Soundtrack album by James Horner Released April 29, 1995 ( 1995 - 04 - 29 ) Recorded 1994 -- 1995 Genre Soundtrack Label MCA Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic `` No Sign of Ghosts '' `` Carrigan and Dibbs '' `` Strangers in the House '' `` First Haunting / The Swordfight '' `` March of the Exorcists '' `` Lighthouse -- Casper & Kat '' `` Casper Makes Breakfast '' `` Fond Memories '' `` ' Dying ' to Be a Ghost '' `` Casper 's Lullaby '' `` Descent to Lazarus '' `` One Last Wish '' `` Remember Me This Way '' -- Jordan Hill `` Casper the Friendly Ghost '' -- Little Richard `` The Uncles Swing / End Credits '' Reception Box Office Casper opened at # 1 over the Memorial Day weekend, grossing $16,840,385 over its first three days from 2,714 theaters, averaging $6,205 per theater. Over four days it grossed $22,091,975, averaging $8,140 per theater. It stayed at # 1 in its second weekend, grossing another $13,409,610, and boosting its 10 - day cume to $38,921,225. It played solidly all through the summer, ending up with a final gross of $100,328,194 domestically, and an additional $187,600,000 internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $287,928,194, far exceeding its $55 million budget and becoming a commercial success. Critical reception Brad Garrett was praised by critics for his performance. Casper received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 44 %, based on 36 reviews, with the site 's critical consensus reading, `` A meandering, mindless family movie that frequently resorts to special effects and transparent sappiness. '' Time Out London described it as `` an intimate and likeable film ''. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, calling it a `` technical achievement, it 's impressive, and entertaining. And there is even a little winsome philosophy. '' Robert Firsching of allmovie gave the film his average star rating while praising the film for its visual effects. The CGI effects, which were considered cutting edge at the time, and the performances of Pullman and Ricci were praised, especially considering that, in the scenes where the Harveys interact with the ghosts, Pullman and Ricci were actually acting either with nothing or with stand - in maquettes used as animators ' references. Moriarty 's performance was criticized, with Variety saying she does `` a poor woman 's Cruella de Vil ''. In his 2015 Movie Guide, Leonard Maltin gave the film a `` BOMB '' rating, objecting to the portrayal of Casper as a deceased child rather than a ghost. Legacy The success of Casper secured Silberling the position of director for the 1998 City of Angels, a remake of Wings of Desire starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Tv series A cartoon series, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper, was released in 1996 based on the film. Fatso ( Season 1 - 2 ), Stinkie, Stretch and Casper were all voiced by the actors from the film, while Dr. Harvey was voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and Kat voiced by Kath Soucie. Sequels and prequel In the mid-1990s, Simon Wells co-wrote a screenplay for Casper 2, which he was set to direct. Amblin cancelled the sequel because they did not believe there would be enough interest from moviegoers. Wells also credited the uncertainty of actress Christina Ricci returning and Fox 's ill - received direct - to - video Casper films as contributing to the cancellation of Casper 2. Two direct - to - video follow - ups to the film were released by 20th Century Fox. The prequel Casper : A Spirited Beginning was released in 1997, and the sequel Casper Meets Wendy was released in 1998. Video games There were several video games based on or tied - in with the film released on the major consoles of the time, such as the 3DO, Super NES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy Color and original Game Boy. An LCD handheld game was released for Tiger Electronics in 1995. See also List of ghost films References ^ Jump up to : `` Casper ( 1995 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. 1995 - 09 - 24. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ Cheng, Cheryl ( 2015 - 07 - 30 ). `` N. Brock Winkless IV, the Puppeteer of Chucky in ' Child 's Play, ' Dies at 56 ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015 - 08 - 23. ^ Jump up to : Ojumu, Akin ( February 16, 2003 ). `` The family that grieves together... '' The Guardian. Retrieved July 16, 2017. Jump up ^ Jensen, Jeff ( 9 June 2011 ). `` Super 8 : Steven Spielberg meets J.J. Abrams ''. ew.com. Retrieved 12 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` The physics of Casper the Friendly Ghost : why ca n't he open the door ? ''. The Guardian. May 29, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Visual and Special Effects Film Milestones ''. AMC Filmsite. Tim Dirks. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 27. Jump up ^ Cindy Pearlman ( 1995 - 06 - 21 ). `` Ghost Busters ''. EW.com. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 02. Jump up ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casper/ Jump up ^ `` Casper Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London ''. Timeout.com. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Casper : : rogerebert.com : : Reviews ''. Rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1995 - 05 - 26. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ Lowry, Brian ( 1995 - 05 - 21 ). `` Variety Reviews - Casper - Film Reviews - - Review by Brian Lowry ''. Variety.com. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ Maltin, Leonard ( 2014 ). Leonard Maltin 's 2015 Movie Guide. Penguin. ISBN 0698183614. ^ Jump up to : Cabrera, Maria ( February 7, 2016 ). `` Joe Alaskey Dies : Voice Of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck & Tweety Passes Away ( VIDEO ) ''. Enstars. Retrieved August 14, 2017. Jump up ^ Leydon, Joe ( October 1, 1997 ). `` Review : ' Casper, A Spirited Beginning ' ''. Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2017. Jump up ^ McGahan, Michelle ( October 17, 2016 ). `` Hilary Duff 's ' Casper Meets Wendy ' Snapchat Is The Halloween Throwback We All Need -- PHOTO ''. Bustle. Retrieved August 14, 2017. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Casper ( film ) United States portal Film portal Comedy portal 1990s portal Official website Casper on IMDb Casper at Rotten Tomatoes Casper at AllMovie Casper at Box Office Mojo Casper the Friendly Ghost Supporting Characters The Ghostly Trio Wendy the Good Little Witch Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost Hot Stuff the Little Devil Kibosh Casper 's Scare School characters Shorts The Friendly Ghost There 's Good Boos To - Night A Haunting We Will Go Boo Moon Comics Casper and the Spectrals ( 2009 - 2010 ) Television series Matty 's Funday Funnies ( 1959 ) The New Casper Cartoon Show ( 1963 ) Casper and the Angels ( 1979 ) The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper ( 1996 ) Casper 's Scare School ( 2009 ) Television specials Casper 's Halloween Special ( 1979 ) Casper 's First Christmas ( 1979 ) Films Casper ( 1995 ) Casper : A Spirited Beginning ( 1997 ) Casper Meets Wendy ( 1998 ) Casper 's Haunted Christmas ( 2000 ) Casper 's Scare School ( 2006 ) Video Games Casper ( 1996 ) Casper : Spirit Dimensions ( 2001 ) Casper 's Scare School ( 2008 ) Harvey Comics Films based on Harvey Comics Single films The Sad Sack Baby Huey 's Great Easter Adventure Franchises Casper the Friendly Ghost Live - Action Casper Casper : A Spirited Beginning Casper Meets Wendy Animated Casper 's Haunted Christmas Casper 's Scare School Richie Rich Richie Rich Richie Rich 's Christmas Wish Films directed by Brad Silberling Casper ( 1995 ) City of Angels ( 1998 ) Moonlight Mile ( 2002 ) Lemony Snicket 's A Series of Unfortunate Events ( 2004 ) 10 Items or Less ( 2006 ) Land of the Lost ( 2009 ) GND : 4391930 - 3 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Casper_(film)&oldid=815622660 '' Categories : 1995 films English - language films 1990s comedy - drama films 1990s fantasy - comedy films 1990s ghost films Amblin Entertainment films American children 's comedy films American children 's fantasy films American comedy - drama films American comedy horror films American fantasy - comedy films American haunted house films Casper films Directorial debut films Films about Halloween Films based on short fiction Films directed by Brad Silberling Films scored by James Horner Films set in Maine Films shot in Maine Live - action films based on animated series Films based on American comics Live - action films based on comics Films with live action and animation Screenplays by Deanna Oliver Screenplays by Sherri Stoner Universal Pictures films Hidden categories : Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2017 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Deutsch Español فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Shqip Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 16 December 2017, at 00 : 08. 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Question: who plays kat in casper the friendly ghost
Answer: Christina Ricci