Normally, when Ghostbusters fans ask, "Who you gonna call?" the answer is a near automatic (and enthusiastic) reply of "Ghostbusters!" However, for this weekend only, fans might want to give Lyft a call instead.
That's because the transportation service is partnering with the new Ghostbusters film to bring authentic Ecto-1 vehicles to certain cities across the United States. If you live in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco or Washington, D.C., all you have to do is have the Lyft app installed and select "Ghost mode." Free rides in an Ecto-1 will be given from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Not only does the Lyft Ecto-1 fleet mirror its movie counterpart, but Lyft's cars also come equipped with Ghostbusters Twinkies and the oh-so-delicious Hi-C Ecto Cooler drink. That way, fans can cruise around town hunting for ghosts in style. Just don't call for the Ecto-1 if you're in a hurry. Chances are, the cars will be getting a serious workout come this weekend, so there will likely be long waits in store for those who want to take a free ride.
It's far from the first time Lyft has partnered with a film for marketing purposes. The company let fans ride in a Back to the Future-inspired DeLorean in years past. Lyft competitor Uber has also gotten in on the action, partnering with films like Mad Max: Fury Road to spice up the transportation service.
As for the new Ghostbusters, fans won't have to wait much longer before being able to see the film in theaters. The real question now is whether or not it will be any good. When the film's first trailer hit the web, it quickly became one of the most disliked film trailers in YouTube history. While the trailer wasn't exactly great, the dislikes seemed to come in more from people upset about an all-female cast of Ghostbusters or the fact that the film was being rebooted in the first place. The movie doesn't take place after the events of the first two Ghostbusters films, and is instead a reboot, albeit one that borrows heavily from the original film.
Thankfully, the film's second official trailer proved to be much better than the first, so here's hoping the movie can deliver on the aspects that made the original such a classic in the first place. You can read more about the new Ghostbusters here. The film arrives in theaters on July 15.
