April 22, 2014Casper / Founded

Casper the Friendly Ghost Casper is a 1995 American live-action/computer animated supernatural comedy-drama film directed by Brad Silberling, in his feature film directorial debut, based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo.

Casper (with the same sounding Kasper) is a family and personal name derived from Aramaic that means "Treasurer". The origins of the name have been traced as far back as the Old Testament and variations of the name have been adopted by a variety of cultures and languages. Casper.

Casper (voiced by Malachi Pearson) is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey (Bill Pullman) arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci). Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.Casper / Film synopsis

He often reaches out to people who are lonely or misunderstood and tries to be their friend. This message of inclusivity and kindness has resonated with audiences for generations. Casper has also been a pioneer in the world of animation.

Fact: Casper's nickname is "The Oil City." In fact, Wyoming's largest and most significant oil field in the 20th century, Salt Creek field, was in northern Natrona County about 40 miles north of Casper. From oil and gas to dinosaurs in the Wild West, Casper has one of the nation's richest histories.

The mansion's greedy owner, Carrigan Crittenden and her partner, Dibs, hire a ghost therapist named Dr. James Harvey to remove the ghosts from it just so they can collect the treasure contained in it. Casper falls madly in love with James' loner teenage daughter, Kat, who is also looking for a friend.

Casper Died At A Young Age, Leaving His Dad Alone After begging his dad for a sled, he spent all day and night outside in the snow - even though his father asked him to come in. Come nightfall, Casper got sick and his dad got "sad." From the little information he gave, it sounds like Casper died from pneumonia.

While the original comics never gave Casper a real origin story (he was born a ghost to ghost parents), the movie decided to give him a tragic backstory: He died of pneumonia when he was a young boy due to the cold weather, leaving his inventor father devastated.

Director Brad Silberling and screenwriters Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver crafted a backstory for Casper. In the film, it is revealed his real name was Casper McFadden (the first time he was provided with the last name). Casper was a 12-year-old boy who died of pneumonia after playing out in the snow for too long.

Kat Harvey Kat Harvey In the 1995 film, Casper had a crush on human Kathleen "Kat" Harvey. She is implied to have a crush on him as well. She became his best friend and love interest later on.

Kathleen "Kat" Harvey Christina Ricci as Kathleen "Kat" Harvey, James' 13-year-old daughter and Casper's love interest who has lost her mother and wants to make a friend.