Posted in: Nerd Food, Pop Culture | Tagged: ecto cooler, ghostbusters, wizard world

Wizard World to Hold 35th-Anniversary Ghostbusters Fan Fest, But How Can We Celebrate Without Ecto-Cooler?

Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps sent out a press release today, in honor of Ghostbusters Day (yes, that's right, there's a Ghostbusters Day, and it is today), announcing two years of celebrations for Ghostbusters' 35th anniversary. Perhaps most prominent amongst the announcements is news that Wizard World (provided they remain in business that long) will hold a Ghostbusters Fan Fest event in California on June 8-9 2019. And if you can't wait until then, Wizard World Columbus is doing a little Ghostbusters celebration of its own this weekend:

Wizard World is celebrating Ghostbusters Day at its annual Wizard World Comic Con stop in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, with free single-day admission for fans dressed as Ghostbusters, and a unique program of events. Over the next year, Wizard World will present a touring experience at Wizard World Comic Con events throughout the country featuring a pop-up shop with exclusive Ghostbusters merchandise. Next year, following the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, Wizard World will continue to tour the additional elements debuted for the 35th anniversary celebration.

Ivan Reitman, director/producer of the 1984 film and principal of Ghost Corps, said of Ghostbusters Fan Fest:

It's immensely gratifying to see the way the fans have embraced our movie over the past 34 years, in a way we could never have imagined in 1984. The credit goes to the fans – collected in over 1,000 fan groups globally – who have kept the flame burning for decades. I'm excited to see you all at Ghostbusters Fan Fest one year from today!

While Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Global Partnerships for Sony Pictures, added:

Ghostbusters has not only endured, but has taken on a life of its own and become its own world – from references in 'Stranger Things' to the TMNT/Ghostbusters comic-book mashup to fantastic memorabilia, Ghostbusters continues to penetrate pop culture. That's what these next two years are all about – a celebration of Ghostbusters and the fandom. It's an incredible lineup of events.

And that's not all that's planned for Ghostbusters Day. The Ghostbusters website has relaunched today with an all-new design and content from the Ghostbusters franchise.

Among the treats launching today on the website is the original four-minutes of test footage for the animated series "The Real Ghostbusters," now restored and in high definition by Ghostbusters superfan Robert Barbieri. Fans can register for e-mail updates at the site and follow @ghostbusters on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media services to keep up to date on Ghostbusters events, news, charity offers, and more.

And a video message from Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd:

And we're not even halfway through yet.

Fans can also get involved through a collaboration between the studio, Ghost Corps and Omaze to benefit the For the Win Project. Fans are encouraged to make a $10 donation, and can enter for the chance to win a Grand Prize Experience, which includes lunch for the winner and a guest with Dan Aykroyd, a VIP visit to Sony Pictures, including Ghostbusters HQ offices, a private guided tour of the Sony Pictures museum (which includes Ghostbusters props), photo opportunities in the Ecto-1, and an original Ghostbusters poster created especially for the winner. Flights and hotels will be included. Other prize incentives include tickets to the Ghostbusters Fan Fest event and tickets to Ghostbusters Live. Visit omaze.com/ghostbusters to enter for your chance to win. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Winners must not be residents of Belgium, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Italy, North Korea, Singapore, Sudan, Syria or Thailand. In certain countries, local rules and laws may restrict or prohibit the award of certain prizes or impose additional restrictions on participation. Entry is subject to all local laws. You must be at least 13 years old to win. Winners under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian as their Guest. Ends August 8, 2018 at 11:59pm PST. Go to www.omaze.com/ghostbusters for Official Rules. Sponsor: Omaze, Inc.

And…

As another way of celebrating Ghostbusters Day, many Ghostbusters licensees and promotional partners will be sliming their social profiles and premiering exciting new products and special offers. LEGO is debuting two brand-new LEGO Ghostbusters BrickHeadz figures of Peter Venkman (covered in slime) and Slimer. International Game Technology (IGT) announces the revolutionary new Ghostbusters 4D Video Slots game, coming soon to a casino near you. Immersive, True 4D™ technology delivers glasses-free 3D graphics, and gives players the power to feel energy beams created with hand gestures to capture popular ghosts from the original 1984 film. For more information, visit IGT.com.

And also:

Later this year, fans will be able to play the Ghostbusters World augmented reality game. A collaboration between Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps, publisher FourThirtyThree Inc. (4:33) and developer Next Age, the game enables players to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from all dimensions of the franchise, including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. It features the latest in AR and other mobile technologies and differentiates itself with skill-based gameplay. Fans visiting San Diego in July will be able to experience the game's first public demo build and booth at The Experience at Comic-Con at Petco Park.

And this:

Beginning this fall, musical Ghostbusters fans can attend Ghostbusters Live, produced by Schirmer Theatrical – special screenings of the 1984 classic with live accompaniment by symphony orchestras around the world, conducted by Peter Bernstein, the film's original orchestrator and son of iconic composer Elmer Bernstein, who wrote the film score. Today, the studio announced that the Ghostbusters Live will be staged in such cities as Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, and Dublin, and many, many more to be announced. Fans can find links to a complete schedule at www.schirmertheatrical.com/shows/ghostbusters.

But you know what the press release failed to mention? Ecto-Cooler, the delicious, green-hued, tangerine-flavored nectar that captures the spirit of the Ghostbusters in a juice box. Launched in 1989, Ecto-Cooler was not only Hi-C's most tasty flavor, but one of its most successful as well. The juice drink endured long after the Ghostbusters movies and cartoon, suffering a few rebrandings (like Shoutin' Orange Tangerine and Crazy Citrus Cooler) before being discontinued in 2007. But in 2016, nearly a decade later, something magical happened. With a Ghostbusters reboot on the horizon, Hi-C announced the return of the beloved Ecto-Cooler as a movie tie-in, for a limited time only. Of course, we immediately sought out the drink upon its release, harassing the grocery store chain Giant Eagle on Twitter until they hooked us up. And yes, we did buy 40 cases of the juice boxes and several more cases of the cans — who would do any less? — but when the Ecto-Cooler revival ended at the end of that year, the glorious juice boxes were once again gone (except for the ones we keep in our closet and still drink more than a year past their expiration date).

Hopefully, another Ghostbusters reboot will one day bring with it more Ecto-Cooler, but at least according to this press release, there are no plans at current, which means we'll be celebrating Ghostbusters 35th anniversary without the most important part of the franchise: its tie-in juice drink. Well, you will be. We've still got a pretty good stockpile.

At ghostbusters.com, fans can register for more information for the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, which will take place one year from today. At the event, fans will meet for two days at Ghost Corps headquarters on the Sony Pictures Studio lot in Culver City, California. There, for the first time ever, the studio will join forces with Wizard World to bring fans an unforgettable experience. For the 35th anniversary, fans will participate in exclusive panels, meet the Ghostbusters creators, talent and crew and experience Ghostbusters augmented reality and virtual reality games.

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