Resurrecting the original Ghostbusters has never been easy. The 1984 comedy starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson as a team of ghostbusters who saved New York City from a giant marshmallow man. The movie was a cultural phenomenon, spawning a sequel, cartoons, video games, and enough merchandise to fill the firehouse. But through the years and years that Aykroyd was trying to get a third movie made, there was always one holdout. Murray wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about playing Peter Venkman again, and Ramis died by the time he decided to return. The actor then reprised the role for a few memorable scenes in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire. Murray is back in the jumpsuit, and this time he’s getting a new set of wheels.
Electric car maker Rivian is working with Sony Pictures on a new Halloween promotion that brings back Murray as Peter Venkman in a commercial directed by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan. The spot features Venkman arriving at a haunted house to deal with Slimer, the franchise’s iconic green ghost. Venkman shows up in the new EctoR1, a custom Rivian R1S, instead of the classic 1959 Cadillac ambulance. The car has been decked out with the iconic Ghostbusters logo, red stripes, emergency lights, and a roof rack full of equipment. It even has its own ghost-catching technology, which Venkman uses on Slimer. But the promotion is more than just a custom car and a new look for Murray. Starting October 9, Rivian owners are able to unlock a special Ghostbusters Halloween Mode with a software update. The experience includes custom dashboard graphics, lighting effects, sound effects, and a scavenger hunt with familiar characters. There’s even an arcade game with the Mini-Pufts from Afterlife. The dashboard will be around until November 2nd. Rivian has additionally constructed several Ecto-R1s so fans can get a snap for the ‘gram. For those following the franchise’s vehicles, it’s not the first time the Ghostbusters have added to their fleet. The cartoon Real Ghostbusters also added a few vehicles not seen in the live-action films, including a small helicopter, the Ecto-2. Here’s the commercial below:
Rivian has been making a push into Hollywood recently. Last Halloween, the company offered vehicle themes inspired by Back to the Future and Knight Rider, even bringing David Hasselhoff back. Rivian vehicles also appeared prominently in Shane Black’s Play Dirty, starring Mark Wahlberg as Donald E. Westlake’s professional thief Parker. A source on the set tells me the product placement offset their budget enough that they were able to secure more of the film they wanted to make. Also, the chase with LaKeith Stanfield driving a Rivian on snow treads just looked cool. Not all automotive promotions have been successful, however. This summer, BMW was slammed after a dashboard system showed advertising for Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day before allowing the customer to drive their car. The drivers were not happy to be locked into a movie promotion on a screen inside a car they already owned. Rivian’s approach is a bit different, offering a Halloween experience as an option instead of automatically turning the dashboard into an advertising space.
Murray returning as Venkman for a commercial is an encouraging sign for the future of Ghostbusters. After spending decades resisting a third movie, the actor now seems more comfortable revisiting the character, even when there isn’t a feature film involved. This also isn’t the first time an original Ghostbuster has gone on a solo mission outside the franchise. In 1995’s Casper, Dan Aykroyd made a surprise appearance as Ray Stantz, attempting to remove Casper’s three mischievous uncles from Whipstaff Manor. Unfortunately, Ray wasn’t up to the job alone, fleeing the house and telling its occupants, “Who ya gonna call? Someone else.” The scene also features Don Novello, basically reviving his Father Guido Sarducci character from Saturday Night Live. Here’s that clip:
Sony is also reportedly developing a new Ghostbusters movie subtitled Nightmare on 34th Street, suggesting the franchise may be returning to the holiday season. Ghostbusters II famously ends on New Year’s Eve. There’s no confirmation that Murray will return for the film or that Rivian’s Ecto-R1 will make another appearance. But with Sony and Rivian already working together, there’s certainly an opportunity to bring the new vehicle back. A version with those snow treads from Play Dirty would be very cool on an Ecto unit. And if Murray is willing to return just to sell electric cars, another trip to the firehouse doesn’t seem nearly as difficult as it once did.
