Bill Murray plays Peter Venkman again in a new Rivian commercial with Slimer. It launches a Ghostbusters Halloween Mode for Rivian EVs, running Oct. 9 through Nov. 2.
Bill Murray is busting ghosts again, this time in an electric SUV.
Murray returns as Dr. Peter Venkman in a new Rivian commercial that came out Oct. 8. It’s part of a team-up with Sony Pictures that brings the Ghostbusters universe to Rivian vehicles for Halloween.
The automaker called him “one of the only men who’s answered this particular call before.”
What happens in the Rivian Ghostbusters commercial?
It opens the night before Halloween in a quiet suburban house. The lights are flickering, and Slimer is eating his way through whatever’s left in the fridge.
Then a familiar siren sounds outside. Venkman pulls up in the Ecto-R1, a Rivian dressed up as the famous Ecto-1, to deal with the green ghost.
“When you need the big guns, you call the original,” Rivian wrote.
Who made the Rivian Ghostbusters ad?
Rivian worked with filmmaker Gil Kenan on the spot. Kenan co-wrote Ghostbusters: Afterlife and directed and co-wrote Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Production company Bob Industries produced it.
Murray last played Venkman on the big screen in Frozen Empire in 2024.
What is Rivian’s Ghostbusters Halloween Mode?
It’s a free over-the-air software update that turns Rivian vehicles into ghost-hunting machines. It starts rolling out Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 2, according to Rivian.
The update adds a dedicated Ghostbusters app inside the vehicle. One big red switch on the screen controls everything, from the interior lighting to the themed sounds and the outside light shows.
If you turn on Trick or Treat Mode, the Ghostbusters theme song starts playing while the displays and exterior lights change to match.
Owners can choose light-and-sound shows themed to the Ecto-1, a proton pack, Slimer, a ghost trap, or Venkman himself. Motion Mode makes the vehicle react when someone walks by, which should startle a few trick-or-treaters.
There’s also a scavenger hunt for hidden Slimer and “Ghost Guard” characters tucked into the vehicle’s menus. A parked-only arcade game called ‘Mallow Mash has you popping Mini-Pufts against the clock.
Which Rivian models get the Ghostbusters update?
All of them, according to Rivian. That includes the R1S, the R1T and the new R2.
You’ll need software version 2026.36.0 on R1 vehicles or 2026.36.40 on the R2. Once you update, the driver display asks if you’d like to “hunt some ghosts.”
“Everyone remembers where they were when they saw Ghostbusters for the first time,” said Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s chief software officer.
What does the Rivian Ecto-R1 look like?
It looks like the 1984 Ecto-1, with a Rivian twist. The Ecto-R1 is built from an R1S, according to Electrek.
Rivian’s Special Projects team gave it a red stripe, the no-ghost logo on the hood and front doors, and white wheel covers on bright silver wheels. That’s a nod to the original car’s chrome hubcaps.
The roof rack has sirens, spotlights, a radar dish, and side tanks, all modeled after the movie car. The team tracked down vintage emergency lights and restored them.
There’s also a hidden Rivian compass design that you can only see from above.
Where can you see the Ecto-R1 in person?
At Rivian stores in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and New York City’s Meatpacking District. Each one is throwing a local celebration with the Ecto-R1, limited-edition merch, and themed snacks and drinks.
Rivian also plans to show up at the NYC Village Halloween Parade and a Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt pop-up in Los Angeles.
Has Rivian done Halloween Mode before?
Yes, it’s become a yearly thing. In 2024, Rivian’s Halloween update borrowed from Knight Rider and Back to the Future, with David Hasselhoff as the celebrity guest, according to Electrek. Last year’s update had a swamp theme.
This year, Rivian went with the Ecto-1, a movie car that started out as a 1959 Cadillac. The new version just happens to be electric.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Ghostbusters News, Jason Fitzsimmons (Oct. 8, 2026), the first report on Bill Murray’s Rivian commercial
Rivian (Oct. 8, 2026), the commercial, Halloween Mode features and dates, the Ecto-R1 build, events and Wassym Bensaid’s quote
CosmicBook.News (Oct. 8, 2026), the commercial’s story and the R1S, R1T and R2 lineup
Electrek (Oct. 8, 2026), the R1S base and Rivian’s past Halloween themes
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