Bill Murray makes surprise Ghostbusters return - but not in the way you may expect

Bill Murray has reprised his iconic role as Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters, returning to the franchise after appearing in 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the 2024 film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

The actor is back in the famous jumpsuit for a slightly different project, which is a new advert for electric car company Rivian, featuring a Halloween clip in which he returns as Venkman.

Produced with Sony Pictures, the new ad sees Murray reunite with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan, who directed the short clip.

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In the advert, Venkman turns up at a haunted house, where he has been sent to deal with Slimer, the famous green ghost from the franchise.

This time, he's not driving the 1959 Cadillac ambulance we all know from the films, but is instead driving the new EctoR1, a customised Rivian R1S.

The Ghostbusters-themed electric SUV will be familiar to fans and has been customised with the Ghostbusters logo, red paint and a roof rack carrying ghost-hunting equipment that Venkman uses to catch Slimer.

The new advert forms part of a spooky-season promotion for Rivian owners, who, from today, can unlock a Ghostbusters Halloween Mode via a software update.

The new mode allows users to update their dashboard graphics, includes sound and lighting effects, and features a scavenger hunt with characters from the franchise.

The dashboard also features an arcade game starring the Mini-Pufts from Afterlife, available until November 2. Rivian has also built several Ecto-R1 vehicles for fans to take photos with.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is available to buy or rent on Prime Video. It follows the Spengler family and the original Ghostbusters as they battle an ancient ghost threatening to freeze the world.

The film stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson.

The logline reads: "The Spengler family teams up with the original Ghostbusters to save the world from a second Ice Age."

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.