Casper: A Spirited Beginning

Casper is a kind spirit who finds himself in the world of the living. He forms a bond with Chris Carson, a lonely boy who attempts to teach the ghost how to properly frighten people. As they become friends, Casper helps Chris improve his relationship with his father. Together, they face various challenges, including efforts to demolish a local manor to make room for a shopping center.

Directed by Sean McNamara, this was the first of 24 films in his career, followed by Casper Meets Wendy in 1998. The screenplay was written by Thomas Hart and Jymn Magon and produced by Mike Elliott. The cast features Steve Guttenberg, Lori Loughlin, Rodney Dangerfield, Michael McKean, and Brendon Ryan Barrett, with Jeremy Foley providing the voice for Casper.

Produced in the United States by 20th Century Fox, Saban Entertainment, The Harvey Entertainment Company, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, the film had a budget of 4 million USD. Audience reception is mixed, with a rating of 4.6/10 on IMDb from 4,900 votes and a 5.4/10 on TMDB from 342 votes. These scores are higher than the rating from film critics, which stands at 2.8/10 based on 5 reviews.