Bill Murray has spent more than 40 years dealing with ghosts, supernatural emergencies and the occasional unpleasant encounter with Slimer. You’d think by now he’d have earned a quiet retirement. Instead, he’s back behind the wheel of a ghostbusting vehicle, and this time it runs on electricity.
Rivian has teamed up with Sony Pictures to introduce a ‘Ghostbusters’-themed Halloween mode for its electric vehicles, complete with eerie lighting, familiar sounds and a few surprises. To celebrate, the automaker recruited Murray to reprise his role as Dr. Peter Venkman in a new promotional video featuring the Ecto-R1, a wonderfully ridiculous electric take on the franchise’s famous ghostbusting transportation.
The video, released October 8, brings together two things nobody necessarily expected to see in the same sentence: Bill Murray and an electric vehicle software update. Yet somehow, the combination works. The Ecto-1 has been one of cinema’s most recognizable cars since 1984, and giving its ghost-hunting personality a modern electric makeover feels like exactly the kind of idea Venkman would approve of, provided somebody else handled the technical details.
Directed by Gil Kenan and produced by Bob Industries, the video leans into the familiar world of paranormal detection. Rivian’s description says the PKE readings are off the charts, leaving Venkman and the Ecto-R1 ready to respond. It’s an affectionate return to a character who has spent decades delivering dry one-liners while everyone around him takes supernatural disasters considerably more seriously.
And of course, there’s music. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” one of the most instantly recognizable movie themes ever recorded, accompanies the promotion. The song has survived more than four decades of Halloween parties, movie marathons, sporting events and people shouting its famous refrain at entirely inappropriate moments.
It’s hard to imagine another movie theme that could do quite the same job. A few seconds of that familiar groove and everybody knows exactly which universe they’re entering. You could probably play it in a supermarket and have half the shoppers instinctively looking around for a proton pack.
That’s the beauty of the collaboration. Rivian gets to borrow the personality of a beloved movie franchise, while ‘Ghostbusters’ gets to demonstrate that its world can still inspire new ideas outside the cinema. The best pop culture collaborations give people something to enjoy even when they have absolutely no intention of buying the product.
The Halloween mode itself is activated with the press of a button and temporarily transforms the in-vehicle experience with themed lighting, iconic audio cues and additional tricks. It’s available through November 1, giving Rivian owners a few weeks to make their daily commute feel like an assignment from a paranormal investigation agency.
Rivian says the feature is part of its regular software updates, which add capabilities and entertainment features to its vehicles throughout the year. That opens up an interesting possibility for modern cars. Their personalities can change without anyone replacing a physical part, and seasonal updates can make a vehicle feel different simply by changing what appears on its screens and comes through its speakers.
For anyone who grew up with ‘Ghostbusters,’ the appeal goes well beyond the technology. The original film arrived in 1984 with a brilliantly strange combination of supernatural comedy, New York attitude, memorable characters and a soundtrack that became inseparable from the movie. Murray’s Venkman was central to that chemistry, approaching encounters with the paranormal as though they were merely another inconvenience interrupting his day.
Seeing him return for a commercial is a reminder that certain characters are so closely associated with their performers that even a brief appearance can bring back an entire era of moviegoing. Murray doesn’t need a lengthy introduction. Put him in a ghostbusting situation, and the audience already knows what kind of trouble is coming.
The response online has been enthusiastic, with viewers celebrating the unexpected collaboration, Murray’s appearance and the Ecto-R1 design. One commenter even suggested the commercial deserved a Super Bowl audience. Others appreciated the little visual references and details tucked into the promotion, proving that ‘Ghostbusters’ fans remain exceptionally good at noticing things.
Rivian’s Halloween mode is available through November 1, 2026, and the promotional video is already attracting hundreds of thousands of views. The company is also inviting people to visit Rivian locations to experience the feature.
Forty-two years after “Ghostbusters” first became a pop culture phenomenon, it’s still finding new places to haunt. This time, those places include electric vehicles, dashboard screens and a promotional video starring the original master of supernatural sarcasm.
And if your car starts making ghost noises this Halloween, at least now there’s a reasonable chance it’s supposed to.