Everyone is hoping that Ghostbusters 3 will recapture the magic of the 1984 film. We’ve heard that the original cast is on board, with the studio said to be quite excited about a script that Dan Aykroyd has described as “connect[ing], better than anything, to the first movie.”
That’s a tantalizing proposition for Ghostbusters fans, whose appetites have been whetted by the enthusiasm of everyone that’s read the script, director Jason Reitman’s clear passion for the project (as proven by him searching through unused takes from the original movie) and the intriguing teaser trailer with which they launched the film. When that was released, the cast was yet to be decided, but Reitman had scored one undying fan favorite to tease the project with: the Ghostbusters’ iconic Ecto-1.
This converted 1959 Cadillac was a combination ambulance/hearse before it was repurposed as the eye-catching way the team sped around New York, and has appeared in various forms in every type of Ghostbusters media to date. But now, thanks to an Instagram post by Reitman, we’ve got a look at how the old girl’s doing in Ghostbusters 3, and sadly, it looks like it’s seen better days.
Back in 1984, Ray Stantz explained that the car would need “some suspension work; and shocks, and brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end … maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring…” before being road-worthy. Now, in 2019 it’s fallen even further into disrepair, looking rusted, yellowed and generally beaten-up. This fits with the trailer, too, which indicates that it’s been kept under a tarp inside a barn for a couple of decades.
However, with the film no doubt set to give the classic team the reunion they deserve, I’d bet that by the time the credits roll on Ghostbusters 3, we’ll see the Ecto-1 with a brand new coat of paint on her looking like she just rolled out of their Manhattan firehouse.