Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin first got the idea for "Ghost" while watching a production of Shakespeare’s "Hamlet." When Hamlet’s dead father tells him to avenge his death, Rubin thought, "Wow, let’s transpose that into the 20th century it’d be an interesting story," as he reminisced to the Detroit News. Sam wasn’t the typical leading man - many A-list stars weren’t interested in the role because playing a dead man felt like a loss of "vitality" - and the film’s exploration of love through the spirit world was a bit different from other popular romances of the time like "Pretty Woman." Still, "Ghost" has continued to resonate with audiences for over three decades now, so whether you’re already a fan or meeting Sam, Molly, and Oda Mae for the first time, read on to find out how "Hamlet," a pottery magazine, and an obscure prison film all led to the making of "Ghost." Ghost was inspired by Hamlet (and some LSD) But the film’s success was a surprise to all those involved, as Ghost’s blending of genres - romance, comedy, and the supernatural - made it a risk. "Ghost" became the highest-grossing film of 1990 and won two Academy Awards. He tries to contact Molly with the help of a psychic, Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), to warn Molly of impending danger and find the closure he needs to move on to the next world. As Sam watches his girlfriend, Molly ( Demi Moore), cope with his death, he starts to learn the truth of who really killed him. The film tells the story of Sam (Patrick Swayze), a banker who is killed by a mugger and finds himself as a ghost, invisible and unable to engage with the physical world. Jerry Zucker’s classic 1990 hit, "Ghost," has become an indelible part of pop culture, elevating "Unchained Melody" into a favorite love song and spawning endless spoofs of its iconic pottery scene.