Five reasons why new 'Ectomobile' rocks 'Ghostbusters'
No matter how many times you call, the Ghostbusters are not going to get there without an Ectomobile.
Naturally, a new and revamped Ectomobile rolls in the new Ghostbusters reboot starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.
The converted vintage Cadillac hearse is prominently displayed in the first trailer that dropped on Thursday.
We even saw the origin story for the new Ectomobile — Jones’ character borrows the show-stopping Caddy from an uncle.
Here’s why director Paul Feig and screenwriter Katie Dippold just had to have their version of the original 1984 Ghostbusters mobile (with the Ecto-1 license plate) in the new Ghostbusters opening July 15).
1. Fans would have revolted without it
Feig says early on, the filmmakers brainstormed ideas on what needed to come back from the 1984 original Ghostbusters.
“Katie and I were like, ‘What would we be bummed not to have if we were Ghostbusters fans, what would we need to see in this movie. The top of the list was the Ecto-1,” says Feig.
While he didn’t want to use the same one in the reboot, he kept the basic idea.
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” says Feig. “We didn’t mess with it. But we gave it a new design.”
The 1984 original is a 1959 Cadillac. The new car is a 1993 Cadillac hearse, which came out four years after Ghostbusters II. Retro for 2016 of course.
“I loved those lines,” says Feig. “And I liked that it was different than the rounded look of the original. It just looked like fun.”
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2. Perfect storage for Ghost-busting
When you are carrying around proton packs to ghost emergencies, a hearse design is perfect.
“I just really wanted it to be rigged out so it was clear it held their equipment properly,” says Feig.
3. Nothing shouts low-rent like a hearse with a big yellow siren
The new mobile makes a statement. The film’s production designer added the giant yellow siren which was scavenged off a boat to make it car even more over-the-top.
“Originally, I thought it should be a smaller siren,” says Feig. “But this shows they are scavenging pieces. I really want this to have a garage band feel to it. That’s the power of the original Ghostbusters."
Screenwriter Katie Dippold says it was key to stick to duct-tape-filled underdog vehicle.
"We could have had a crazy modern souped-up car. But we wanted to stick to the basics. And this is four underdogs that don’t have a lot of money. They cannot get this souped-up modern car. So basically it’s grab what you can get for them."
4. Nostalgia rules
From J.J. Abrams Star Wars: The Force Awakens to Ghostbusters, it's clear fans want their cultural touchstones in these return franchises. Feig opens the trailer with a ghost scene very similar to the opening New York Public Library scene from the1984 original.
"We wanted to plant a flag early. People don't know what this movie is," says Feig. "It's a whole different team. But it's kind of fun leading off with something iconic from the original."
There are many more icons coming back. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson are coming back with cameos. Slimer the ghost is coming back. There will be others revealed (count on the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man). Feig really had to plant another flag with the Ectomobile.
5. Ghost heads love it
Ghostbuster fans, known as Ghost heads, saw the new Ectomobile which was on display at the Sony Lot on Wednesday for a massive fan event. Let's just say they loved it.
